Challenger

Challenger Disaster
Photo by NASA
From nationalgeographic.org

remember the rocket
nine miles seven lives
in a race from the face
of their earthly creation
those terrible plumes
uncertain of origins
stark pretty horror
desperate white fingers
scrabbling at sky
turning thrills into
shudders of realization
curl destiny downward
draw preludes to grief

the best minds who
admired vast visions
missed noticing
least deadly details
of intricate
cause and effect
such are flaws
that afflict and impinge
on our human intelligence
grown beyond scale
of small perils
possessing the powers
of terrible tragedy