SpaceX

My small grandsons,
both less than five years old,
are watching
the human space launch
bright eyes and holding their breath.

For them, it is an ultimate adventure.
Wow! and called Dragon, too.

For us, it symbolizes an escape
from all the mess
that we have made on earth.

I would not take away
today’s light from their eyes,

but my eyes shine with tears
because of racism in my country,
illness killing so many,
devastation
of this environment.

Let us watch how they do it,
returning booster rockets
to be used again and again and again.

We will need that.

Let us launch something
into this space
like change, like hope —

children are watching.