July 21, 1969 - And 2009

My eyes are ever drawn to the night sky.
Last Friday, Jupiter and sev'ral moons
Had me transfixed; I'd still be there, my eye
Pressed to a scope. Nights turn always to noons,
Though. Now today the world is looking back
To when our moon first felt a human step,
But some of us are also keeping track
Of Jupiter's black spot. I did not get
To see it Friday night; no black spot was
There to be seen back then. It might be so
That just ere that astronomer from Oz
Observed it that a comet struck a blow!
Meanwhile the men who first trod Luna's dust
Declare that now our job is Mars or bust.

BONUS SONNET: In Which I Howl At The Moon

'Twas forty years ago this very day

Apollo the Eleventh left the pad

Bound for a date with destiny away

Upon another world. Three men all clad

In our space age's finest future garb

Left Earth to walk upon our planet's moon.

Since then we've scarce returned; there lies a barb

That wounds me, yet I've hope we'll be there soon

Again. There's LRO/LCROSS and all.

Meanwhile our own dear Duncan Jones has made

A worthy little film, a clarion call,

One vision of what we might have to trade

To live there and to keep our lifestyle here.

I took it in today. This Moon, I cheer!