Countdown
Lit up with anticipationWe arrive at the launching siteThe sky is still dark, nearing dawnOn the Florida coastline
Circling choppers slash the nightWith roving searchlight beamsThis magic day when super-scienceMingles with the bright stuff of dreams
Floodlit in the hazy distanceThe star of this unearthly showVenting vapors, like the breathOf a sleeping white dragon
Crackling speakers, voices tenseResume the final countAll systems check, T minus nineAs the sun and the drama start to mount
The air is chargedA humid, motionless massThe crowds and the camerasThe cars full of spectators passExcitement so thick you could cut it with a knifeTechnology high, on the leading edge of life
The earth beneath us starts to trembleWith the spreading of a low black cloudA thunderous roar shakes the airLike the whole world exploding
Scorching blast of golden fireAs it slowly leaves the groundTears away with a mighty forceThe air is shattered by the awesome sound
Like a pillar of cloudThe smoke lingers high in the airIn fascinationWith the eyes of the worldWe stare