Poppies, revisited

(This sonnet was inspired by the picture I drew last year at this time.)

A routine test, and then a tiny spark

A fire in the cockpit quickly grew

We ask why we must go explore the dark?

While poppies represent the fallen crew

A frigid morning, but the launch went on

Till one small o-ring brought us to our knees

We wonder why more heroes now are gone?

And seven poppies shudder in the breeze

The flight seemed fine, except nobody knew

About the deadly scar from falling foam

And we debate, why venture like we do?

While seven more mark those not coming home

Yet even poppies know the reason why

To grow, life must ascend from Earth to sky

In memoriam:

Apollo 1 - January 27, 1967 - Grissom, White, Chaffee

STS-51L - Challenger - January 28, 1986 - Scobee, Smith, Onizuka, Resnik, McNair, Jarvis, McAuliffe

STS-107 - Columbia - February 1, 2003 - Husband, McCool, Brown, Chawla, Anderson, Clark, Ramon