Reach for the Sublime

It's hard to believe NASA's final flight is in orbit

without starting to feel at least a teeny bit morbid.

Of course, the end of any era means the start of a new one

and perhaps future exploration will be even more fun!

Sure, no one else will ever be the first to pee in space

but perhaps someone will build a space vacation place.

Hopefully we will never again get lost on the moon

and someday they'll turn Al and Ed's story into a cartoon.

If ever again an incident involves spacecraft and lightning,

I hope it's a Back to the Future thing and not something frightening.

Though NASA's desire to power up solar didn't work at first,

perhaps they just needed to channel a lightning burst?

The technology we've been using is over thirty years old.

I'm glad we're taking the step to do something more bold.

Though it's fun to reminisce on everything we've seen and done.

Weird creatures shouldn't be the only ones to join the in-flight fun.

If we want ordinary people to someday have the opportunity

to experience the things that now only astronauts get to see,

we will need a vessel at least as modern as a cell phone,

not one from the time when shuttles symbolized "on roam".

It seems only fitting we would share spacecraft for a while,

with the country that helped invent out-of-this-world-style.

Previously a competitor, now our partner in crime.

Together we must now reach toward the sublime.

© Rachel Hoyt 2011.  All rights reserved.

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