Moon Memories

[Frank E Gibbard]

I could not have been more absorbed

In activity upon our romantic lunar orb;

My mother and I on TV both observed

That thrilling first footfall of frail man

Falteringly placed on non-terran land,

Seen via the state of arc technology

On a micro screen by today's standard.

Stars and stripes in wavy monochrome

And vast expectations were dully raised

Like these hazy recollections, so distant.

The big picture though was truly grand,

I was up late in Britain, my Dad in bed,

He'd seen war in his time at first hand;

This was not the most dramatic event

To him as it was to me then, of all time,

That is - until planes flew into buildings.

Edited July 20, 2009 by Frank E Gibbard

[tonyv]

I admire your ability to commemorate an event like the moon landing with a poem, how you take the event and make it real with a glimpse into the personal:

 

I could not have been more absorbed

In activity upon our romantic lunar orb;

My mother and I on TV both observed

That thrilling first footfall of frail man

Falteringly placed on non-terran land,

Seen via the state of arc technology

On a micro screen by today's standard.

Stars and stripes in wavy monochrome

And vast expectations were dully raised

Like these hazy recollections, so distant.

The big picture though was truly grand,

I was up late in Britain, my Dad in bed,

He'd seen war in his time at first hand;

This was not the most dramatic event

To him as it was to me then, of all time,

That is - until planes flew into buildings.

I enjoyed how you made it "real."

 

Tony

[Frank E Gibbard]

Many thanks Tony all historic events are invested with our perceptions at the time. One was nearer to this happening albeit remotely. With Neil Armstrong & co. all the way. Frank

Edited July 20, 2009 by Frank E Gibbard

[Larsen M. Callirhoe]

wow frank, thanks for the read. this flowed and hand excellent rythm. i enjoyed reading this. this is my second favorite of yours. of course my favorite of yours is about the passion of the dog sent to space as the first cosmonaut. that one captures your writing capabilities perfectly.

 

cheers

victor mike aka larse

[dr_con]

Frank,

 

Enjoy the time bound perceptions, the sense of the author's changes in time- I have recently come to define 'postmodernism' as the perception which takes these events for granted being born after the event and taking the world as is- Most children and young adults today simply can not comprehend how thrilling and history that experience was- Hence postmodernism ;-)

 

Many Thanks Frank!

 

DC

[goldenlangur]

Hi Frank,

 

I sometimes think that you should be Poet Laureate of Magnum Opus - the accolade to recognize how you render universal events and themes with a personal angle and make it engaging for the reader.

 

 

I particularly like how you've contrasted the perceptions and reactions of your father and yourself to this momentous event:

I was up late in Britain, my Dad in bed,

He'd seen war in his time at first hand;

This was not the most dramatic event

To him as it was to me

 

And then the startling allusion to 9 11(?) in the closing lines:

 

until planes flew into buildings.

[Aleksandra]

Well composed poem Frank. The history over personal eye is expressed on one very good way.

 

Thank you.

 

Aleksandra