“Footprints on the Moon”

Unlike a fabled argosy of old
That ventured o’er a mythical lagoon;
Our great Apollo, manned by men so bold,
Roared skyward on its journey to the moon.

Up through the atmosphere that shields our world
Our valiant astronauts streaked through the blue.
On lunar soil … Old Glory was unfurled,
And one of mankind’s oldest dreams came true.

The Eagle landed on a barren plain,
Its feet set firmly on volcanic crust;
Two men descended to the strange terrain,
And left their footprints in the lunar dust.

Celestial gateways now have opened wide,
The galaxies now beckon overhead,
We now accept this fact with awe and pride,
And who of us can say that God is dead.

Two men have won a place in history,
The glory of their feat will long be known,
But do not honor two men, honor three,
For one man orbited the moon alone.

I look up at the moon at close of day,
Knowing that dreams of conquest will not cease,
How proud we are … yet still we all must pray
That men shall also … find the way to peace.

Footnote: “Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.” It was the voice of Neil Armstrong just before he became the first man to set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969. Moments later, his next words made history: “That’s one small step for man, one giant step for mankind.”