Lunar Ascent

In the silent cradle of the cosmos, we chase the moon, 

A silver sentinel hanging in the velvet night. One small step 

Echoes through history, bridging the vast divide from Earth. 

We hurtle through the endless, star-speckled void, 

Defying gravity's grasp with engines roaring like captured light, 

Fulfilling ancient whispers of humanity's boldest dream.  

Yet in that ethereal pursuit, the weight of the dream 

Clings like lunar dust, as we orbit the pale moon. 

Rockets pierce the sky, trailing plumes of fiery light, 

And astronauts, suited ghosts, prepare for the fateful step. 

Below, the blue marble spins in the infinite void, 

A fragile home we leave behind, our precious Earth.  

From lunar modules descending, we touch the barren Earth 

Of another world, where shadows stretch in eternal dream. 

No wind stirs the regolith, no sound fills the void— 

Just the flag planted firm against the cratered moon. 

Armstrong's voice crackles: "That's one giant leap," a step 

That ignites the heavens with triumphant human light.  

Reflected in visors, the sun's unrelenting light 

Bathes the desolate plains, far from teeming Earth. 

We bound in low gravity, each cautious step 

A dance of discovery, weaving fact from myth and dream. 

Craters yawn like open mouths beneath the moon, 

Silent witnesses to our intrusion in the void.  

Isolation grips the soul amid the cosmic void, 

Where darkness reigns beyond the helmet's glowing light. 

We collect rocks, symbols of conquest from the moon, 

To carry back as tokens to our waiting Earth. 

In zero-g reverie, we ponder the collective dream: 

What worlds await beyond this monumental step?  

The return capsule plunges, a fiery comet's step 

Toward reentry's blaze, piercing the atmospheric void. 

We awaken from the spell of that celestial dream, 

Trailing stardust memories in the trailing light. 

Homeward bound, we glimpse the curve of Earth, 

Our origin and anchor, eclipsing even the moon.  

In the envoi, we honor the moon's light and Earth's dream, 

Cherish the void's step toward unity's bold flight, 

Where humanity's dream ignites the stars' eternal light.