First Foot on Mars: A Poem

First Foot on Mars

Landed, safely, relief abounds
The ship intact, no new crater made
Back on earth, eight minutes wait
Soon loud cheering, jumping, elation

Up high I wait, Mars down below
Descent by cable, bold we go
The lift untried, yet prove it must
To start this mission in the dust

To be the first on this new land
Pause a moment, awestruck, grand
One step will be for me small
For watchers back home, biggest of all

Now I'm here, I am the first
Many will follow upon my steps
For which I'm glad, it's just a start
A whole new world we'll claim our part

In hope we journey like never before
Upon a place so far away
Yet here today we can start fresh
Look forward, not back, the way to go

A struggle it will be for now
Until more ships land here beside
That's ok, for work holds meaning
To build anew, come join the quest.