All of our dreams hauled up to ankle height
Now ground to dust and ash again, shattered
With Columbia in the morning light
Thousands of pieces broken and scattered
Across the land and lives and hearts of all
Who knew and saw and dreamed of what could be.
Can any dream survive the blazing fall
Of the heroes so brave we did not see?
It's just barely more than seventeen years
Since the pillar of flame lit up the sky.
Today once more the dreams gave way to fears
And the loss gave birth to a thousand whys.
But we need to learn that the world still turns
And gather the shards while the fire still burns.

08 Feb 2003