The auditorium was filled
With every class in school.
On stage, a small TV set sat –
For sure, too miniscule.
The year was ’61 or 2,
A spaceship set to go,
With either Alan Shepard
Or John Glenn; I do not know.
But we’d been prepped and we were psyched;
We watched in silent awe,
Though only those in front were sure
Of what they really saw.
I though of that last night as I
Was fixed on my TV
To watch the capsule slowly drift
And plop into the sea.
To many younger folk, this wasn’t
Much of a big deal.
They couldn’t quite experience
What those my age did feel
Remembering so long ago
When space was the frontier
We thought we’d conquer, but that was
A different atmosphere.
the plane ascended.
i yelled it.
this straw in the wind; fly fly fly
i felt it was a necessary affectation
to ensure a safer flight
or rather a calmer form of passenger
bring out the java
i want to ride the bean
we soar, slope upward
i greet the turbulence
with grit
i summon over a flight-attendant and
offer to help up there with the pilot
she politely turns down my offer
and the choppiness subsides
but i still want a role
give me valiantness, worthiness, nobility
and astropolitics
we thank the crew as we disembark
i look into the flight attendant's helium-3 eyes
'when men are arrived at the goal, they should
not turn back.'
i was stopped at immigration for four hours
In the nineteen sixties, growing up,
ideas filled my overflowing cup.
The future then was hopeful and bright.
It took eight minutes for golden light
to shine to the earth down from the sun,
traveling through space to land upon
a boy who was one year less than ten,
who worshipped the astronaut, John Glenn.
Do you recall, old friend, you and me,
how those rays missed us, 'neath shaded tree?
We studied feats of exploration,
learning all about our proud nation,
not knowing, in our days of wonder,
that we tore native lands asunder.
The planets would be our next frontier.
We'd be like Daniel Boone, the pioneer.
My excitement grew - I knew that soon
Neil Armstrong would land upon the moon.
One day, I'd fly space age technology
and create a Martian colony.
Time flies, and how I wish I could say,
the fire of stars still burns in me today.
Once, ideas filled a child's starry eyes,
and mind, a fruitful site to colonize.
Albatross flying through the sky without wings
Brainless minds can't think of such things
Creating a barrier around the walls of rings
Developing a fever, luckily no one ever sings
Evolution was created for the non believing kings
Forgetting the forgotten forget-me-nots while forgetting
Greedy slander speaking of things
High above the prestige of mindless earnings
Innovated by the "sky is the limit" ratings, but
John Glenn walked on the moon while standing
Killer whales suffering for their killings
Lions really the reigning kings?
Monsters think that their absence brings
Nonsensical political surprisings
Outdated data was just sadly rising
Perplexed knowledge is just surprising
Quivering for the facts just reprising
Realizing that everything you saw was just blinding
Sentimental feeling is a supplemental fling
Thinking that you're just rising
Under the current of the abyss are things
Ventured out under starless skies that bring
Wonder in all of the things that become one significant thing
Xylophones playing with unwinding
Yellow dandelions blooming under blinding
Zero dandelions now walking around Earth unwinding
It's 1969, time of the great Apollo 11 mission
The world stopped and acknowledged this first admission
Man's amazing feat
Most amazing since meat
John Glenn was first to discredit the cheesy superstistion
Fifty years ago, Neil Armstrong
Walked upon on the moon,
An act unparalleled which caused
All 'round the world to swoon.
Yet memory's a funny thing,
'Cause in my brain, like glue,
More than that was John Glenn
Splashing down in 1962.
They called all classes down to watch,
On stage, on a TV;
To us, it was the most exciting
Thing we'd ever see.
It set the bar for future feats,
(But seven earth years sooner)
Yet that's the one I treasure
More than triumphs strictly lunar.
again, big Ben,
Airmen, and then,
wise men
John Glenn
transenne
flagmen
gunmen, pitchmen
Turkmen oilmen
lawmen, brood den
unpen, bullpen
6/27/19
written by James Edward Lee Sr. 2018©
Written for project North Omaha Writer’s Group assignment 2019©
Copyright © James Edward Lee Sr. | Year Posted 2019
Once was an illustrator, sketched portraits of famous peeps
Mailed each 2 copies, one to sign and return, other to keep
Received over a thousand
Friends were totally astounded
John Wayne, Donald Trump(?) and John Glenn just 3 of heaps
Wonder if phenoms like Elvis and The Beatles
Will be remembered a hundred years from now
I would hazard a guess they'll be fondly remembered
Just like John Glenn, Donald Trump, and Mickey Mouse
Well two outta three ain't bad!
Once was an illustrator, sketched portraits of famous peeps
Mailed each 2 copies, one to sign and return, other to keep
Received over a thousand
Friends were totally astounded
John Wayne, Donald Trump and John Glenn just 3 of heaps
(Long before The Donald became PREZ?)
John Glenn,
an honored citizen.
A renowned astronaut and senator, too,
an American hero, brave and true.
4/8/17
THE ASTRONAUT = John Glenn
As certain as I see the world below
some things I'd overlooked, within my haste
come to my mind, and in it now, I know
we can't allow what time remains to waste.
What God's become, because we've let it be,
would change if only you'd see what I do,
spread out below, right here in front of me
a fragile sight--most delicate a view.
To see the whole thing, as it is complete,
the total world, big pictures only show,
is recognizing what's beneath our feet
was made by one who knows more than we know.
My question's not to ponder as to how
God made the world--but how to save it now.
© Ron Wilson aka Vee Bdosa the Doylestown Poet
From the moment we met, he played a game
Started out telling me to guess his name
And when I asked, “Don?”
He responded, “Right on!”
This lucky guess led to more of the same
“What do you think I do for a living?”
I hesitated, had some misgivings
“Steer the space shuttle?”
Got no rebuttal
So on this roll, I felt I was winning
“Bet you a kiss you don’t know where I live”
My mind was draining faster than a sieve
“A beachfront villa?”
(The truth would kill ya)
So many guessing games I now relive
After dating three months, his wife found out
Burst into our love nest, called him a lout
Eight kids behind her
All hungry they were
Don Juan he was, but surely no space scout
If you meet a man and he asks you to guess
Take it from me and avoid this distress
He may be akin
To Rumpelstiltskin
The anger later is hard to suppress
Now I’ve learned to turn the tables on men
Asking them to “guess” again and again
My private life hid
Won’t remove the lid
And I’ve convinced some that MY name’s John Glenn
*Entry for Shadow's "Let's Have Some Fun" contest
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.