In The Blink Of An Eye
In a crystal blue sky, in the blink of Eye,
Three streaks flew over West Texas.
At 5 after 9 the 7 that died,
Left lovers and children as exes.
Those on the ground had heard a loud sound,
As Columbia prepared for a landing.
Many asked why and others just cried,
As officials lacked full understanding.
The ship had survived what Challengers tried,
The first of the new shuttle program.
Many denied that the 27th try,
Was the result of engineers' poor plans.
Constructed with pride back in '75,
Named after Captain Gray's venture.
The name also given to Apollo 11's,
Command module lunar adventure.
When she arrived in March '79,
At Merritt's Kennedy Space Center.
Two workers soon died from carbon monoxide,
While getting her ready to enter.
Her very first flight, round earth 36 times,
She safely touched down in California.
Success at her side, no more need for test flights,
As 3 more shuttles soon joined her.
Flying in space sometimes seems such a waste,
After all what's it ever do for ya?
The cost of it seems beyond social means,
Did God ever intend it for ya?
When Challenger's crew died attempting to fly,
Should that have been our first warning?
The program just grew, while nobody knew,
That another disaster was forming.
The years that went by she flew 20 more times,
With 2 more shuttles beside her.
The 21st flight seemed routine at the time,
Officials never really seemed bothered.
When she took flight all her systems seemed right,
Those on the ground never doubted.
A piece of foaming, tore a whole in a wing,
On lift-off, no one gave thought about it?
Officials never knew that the fate of the crew,
Was doomed when the mission first started.
The sheer irony of man's complacency,
Is his ability to carry on and disregard it.
Sixteen days in space now seem such a waste,
As she came in for her last landing.
The sight was serene, a magical scene,
To those who were watching and standing.
A tape later found, showed video and sound,
A thirteen minute recording,
None of the crew ever really knew,
Their mission was beyond aborting.
While descending in time, over Palestine,
She disintegrated without any warning.
Those that looked on, knew something was wrong,
The second white smoke started forming.
It all seemed unreal, dramatically surreal,
As spectator lines were still forming.
Unable to cope many lost hope,
That ill-fated February morning.
A terrorist plot was many's first thought,
How in God's name could this happen?
The war being fought, an Israeli astronaut,
Was this Osama Bin Laden?
She left a wide line of debris behind,
Across Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana,
The nation was shocked, NASA's program was blocked,
Terrorism was ruled from the banter.
In its aftermath, American's still ask,
Were the seven that died really worth it?
Their final words were solemnly heard,
Weeks after searchers unearthed it.
Two years would go by, no shuttles would fly,
While the government thoroughly investigated.
Plots were denied, officials criticized,
Meanwhile families concerned just waited.
No one knows why the innocent die,
It's a question for God in the hereafter,
In a crystal blue sky, in the blink of an eye,
Was the Columbia Space Shuttle Disaster.
Dedicated to the crew of Columbia:
Commander: Rick D. Husband
Pilot: William C. McCool
Payload Commander: Michael P. Anderson
Payload Specialist: Ilan Ramon
Mission Specialist: Kalpana Chawla
Mission Specialist: David M. Brown
Mission Specialist: Laurel Clark
Copyright © February 2010
Kevin Mooney
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