April 12 -- Dear Yuri

[Tinker]

April 12, 2023

Colonel Yuri Gagarin
Kremlin Wall
Necropolis, Russia

Dear Yuri,

I salute your accomplishments and thank you for your gift
to us, the people of the earth. You made an ageless
dream of mankind, a reality.

The first daring human to go into outer space
and return. On this day sixty-two years ago you circled
the earth in a capsule and splashed back down safely.
Because of you, exploration of the universe is a possibility.

Hero of the Soviet Union and inspiration to humanity.
You left us too soon doing what you loved,
spiraling from the sky.

May you be flying in the heavens
pleased with seeing all that came after.

Gratefully,
                   A Star Gazer
                   ~~Judi Van Gorder

Prompt: Write a letter poem.
Today is World Cosmonaut Day in honor of Colonel Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968) who was the first human to orbit the earth April 12, 1961

[dr_con]

lovely. There used to be a celebration at the NASA facility in Mountain View -- given the last few years of apocalyptic screaming, I doubt it's happening anymore😒