--Katherine Quimby Johnson. All rights reserved.
 

The title for this poem comes from the folk song "The Maid of Amsterdam," but the poem itself was inspired by an article in this month's Atlantic, "Across the Universe," by Thomas Mallon, which considers how we have by and large stopped exploring the universe. It's a fascinating article and this passage caught my eye and ear: "If the spacecraft got there [Earth orbit], it would deploy eight tissue-thin 'blades,' 600 square meters of Mylar that would catch the sun and begin propelling the craft, on nothing but light, through humankind's first solar-sailing voyage. The ship, beautiful as a flower or firework, would be controlled from the ground by two teams...." However, the article goes on to describe how unlikely it is, for a number of reasons, none of them having to do with science, that this space craft will leave Earth.

Two  more days. I wonder what will catch my attention tomorrow.