Poetry Friday, Week 28: Thinking about the Moon Landing, 54 Years Later

7/21/2023

Margaret at Reflections on the Teche is hosting and has an ode to strawberry jam and reflects on the kindness of friends.
Yesterday was the 54th anniversary of the first lunar landing. I was sixteen and in France. I pulled out the French papers yesterday, photographed them and that was as far it got as I had lunch with a friend to celebrate our both in Club 70 (she joined in June).

Sixteen

Looking for Armstrong walking on the moon
~Jone Rush MacCulloch

After dancing on Pont d'Avignon, we went looking
baguettes and cafe au lait for
our petite breakfast. 238,900 miles above us, Armstrong,
waved, walking
about, leaving forever footprints. On
the Palais des Papes steps, we cheered. The
moment remembered whenever I gaze at the moon
© jone rush macculloch, (draft) 2023

Linda Mitchell

7/21/2023 08:43:49 am

Jone! I love this. It's such a specific memory and yet universal to all that have one. To be in Paris at that moment waving to the man on the moon...such a beautiful moment in time.

Laura Purdie Salas link

7/21/2023 10:47:53 am

What a magical moment and poem, Jone. You captured wonder both on earth and in space!

Margaret Simon

7/21/2023 12:13:32 pm

I remember my father waking us up to watch it on TV. He made a cassette tape recording of it that I still have. Love your golden shovel that speaks French and hands me bread and cafe au lait.

Denise Krebs link

7/21/2023 08:59:40 pm

Jone,
What a wonderful poem, and what a memory of that time and exactly what you were doing. Fascinating that you were doing something so interesting. Were you an exchange student? I was ten when they walked on the moon, and I just remember watching the grainy images on the black and white T.V. not yet understanding the significance. Thanks for the reminder of this day.

Rose Cappelli

7/22/2023 03:18:16 am

The moon landing is one of those moments in history that spark a specific memory. Thanks for sharing yours. Imagine! Armstrong's "forever footprints" are still there.

Marcie Flinchum Atkins link

7/22/2023 05:56:01 am

What a cool place to be for that memory!

Linda Baie link

7/22/2023 06:21:02 am

How special that you have that memory in Paris, knowing all the world was watching, too. I was married & we watched with friends. So exciting to remember, Jone. What a special post you've created!

Mary Lee

7/22/2023 06:36:34 am

What a memory!!

Mary E Cronin link

7/22/2023 08:19:01 am

I love how you bring us to a particular place and time, Jone. Thank you for that!

gailaldousmsncom Aldous

7/22/2023 03:28:38 pm

Jone, what a specific and great memory of being 16 in France! How wonderful that you saved the papers all these years. I love your juxtaposition in your poem, of two important events "baguettes and cafe au lait" and "Armstrong, / waved, walking / about, leaving forever footprints." Powerful. I was a child sitting on the couch with my sister and parents watching on our black and white TV. I remember being fascinated about our landing on the moon.

PATRICIA J FRANZ link

7/22/2023 09:31:10 pm

I recall watching that moment on a b/w tv - amazed that the orb that shone above our home was hosting these explorers. I wasn't a poet then, but now...

Karen Elise Finch link

7/23/2023 02:59:27 pm

Wow, Jone! What a terrific memory to have of that day. And to have the newspapers you saved. Your poem is such a cool honor to that historic day. The wonder and the adventure you had! You've kept that 16yr-old self, thankfully. What a treat to read.

Joyce Ray

7/25/2023 11:39:22 am

I love this poem, Jone, because it commemorates a shared memory with a golden shovel form. The form lends itself to historic headlines. I was a young mom and made sure I held our four month old daughter on my knee so she could be apart of it, too.

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Poetry Friday, Week 28: Thinking about the Moon Landing, 54 Years Later

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