It is nine thirty pm, Houston time,
on July twenty, nineteen sixty nine.
Armstrong is the first to wriggle
out of a square hole in the Eagle.
He moves a camera into position
so the world can follow his mission.
“One small step for man, he chimed,
…….one giant leap for mankind.”
Aldrin, now out, joined in recitation,
“beautiful, magnificent desolation”.
While on earth six hundred million watch
a flag planted in dirt too hard to scratch.
Awake many hours, back inside to rest…
too cold to sleep but they did their best.
Soon the command module would align,
a new chapter in history they would design.
Heroes for ever among a mortal throng,
astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong.
© 08 Jan 2011 Charles Henderson
For Carolyn’s and James' History contest
Magical Mystical history and mystery,
Painted and woven on tablets and tapestry.
Cave painted hunts and sand script on tombs,
We dig for our history then fill in the wounds.
The secrets of Stonehenge and Silbury Hill,
That tapping and digging will never reveal.
See Picasso and Van Gogh, read Byron and Shelly,
Then watch the war on a plasma screen telly.
Chipped marble statues partly destroyed,
The wisdom of Nietzsche and ramblings of Freud.
Thank Romans for wine and Columbus for tea;
Thank genetics and Science for deciphering me.
History is stuff that lives in the past,
Historical characters the sets and the cast.
I’m living in history but today is for real,
I thank my lucky stars for this being alive deal.
So look me up in a thousand that’s me in the picture
I’m loving your history but I wish I could meetcha.