One Small Step

We all looked up and held our breaths -
No person was immune -
That day in 1969
When Armstrong walked the moon.

It seemed just like a fairy tale -
Could such a thing be real?
But yes, it was and "one small step"
Became a great big deal.

Those years were filled with promise
And that moon walk did embrace
The love affair, so rife with hope,
We had with outer space.

But times have changed; we've lost the thrills
That NASA did provide
And now to add the final blow,
We learn Neil Armstrong's died.

A special place within our hearts
For Neil we'll always keep;
All mankind owes a debt to him
Thanks to that "giant leap."

As I gazed at the moon last night,
In glorious display,
I thought of Armstrong's footprints,
Long ago and far away.