John F. McCullagh - The Challenger Seven

I remember when they waved goodbye,
and left the earth behind
A roar, then an explosion
Indelible in my mind.

That crew was a mosaic
Of America that year;
White, Black Female, Asian
All represented here.

There was a teacher on the flight
Her school kids looking on
How hard then to explain to them
That Mrs. McAuliffe’s gone.

.Like Drake upon the Ocean
of an earlier place and time.
They died while on a mission
to expand the human mind.

They waved goodbye that morning
Slipped the surly bonds of sod
And set out on their journey
To touch the face of God.

John F. McCullagh

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-challenger-seven/