My Teacher Went Boom
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On January 28, 1986, the Challenger Space Shuttle was scheduled for its 10th mission, the 25th mission of the entire shuttle fleet. By this point, we had become comfortable with shuttle launches, but this one was special because it included a teacher from New Hampshire who would become the first civilian in space. Unfortunately, temperatures had dropped as low as 36°F (2.22°C), which caused an O-ring to fail. Tragically, the shuttle exploded just 73 seconds into the mission. Christa McAuliffe, the teacher aboard, made history, and many children across the United States were watching. This poem is written from the perspective of a student.
Listen to poem:
Tick-tick.
We gathered, huddled tight,
Eyes to the screen, hearts alight.
There she was, her smile aglow,
"My teacher," I whispered, "is ready to go."
Tick-tick.
The engines ignite,
A pillar of fire, a streak of white.
Cheers erupt, "Go Challenger, go!"
Her voice still rings: "I'll teach you, I know."
Whoosh. Whoosh.
The rocket climbs,
Thirty seconds, sixty times.
She’s up there now, soaring high,
A teacher who reached to touch the sky.
Crack-pop.
A gasp, a flare.
The fire splits the frosty air.
"What's happening?" I dared to say,
But silence stole the words away.
Boom.
The cloud twists wide,
A shape of loss, a nation cried.
Seventy-three seconds, all undone,
The lesson ended, never begun.
Tick-tick.
The years go by,
I still look upward, asking why.
She promised dreams, she taught us hope,
Her voice helps countless students cope.
My teacher went boom,
But she didn’t fall.
Her courage echoes,
In us all.
Copyright © Joel Hawksley | Year Posted 2025
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