Mine Rescue Trumps Moon Landing....

8:03 PM PST:

I'm watching it on CNN, excited and heartened and fearful. First miner now on the way up.

"in just a minute and a half, maybe two minutes from now. Family members waiting, 69 days now."

8:05 MINER ON THE SURFACE! MINOR ON THE SURFACE! NO, FALSE ALARM ...

8:07: little boy in hard hat waiting. steam from hole. "they will see that wheel stop, and they will know" ... nearly 14 minutes ... about two minutes before ... "upper parts of shaft secured with metal" ...

8:12: hoking horns! Cheering and applause! Fenix capsule up! miner's face behind capsule bars. Miner out, smiling, hugs crying son, wife ... Another miner standing by in tears. The world maybe in tears of joy ...

the pride of a rescue crew, of a man and his family, of a country, of the world up here ...

8:47: I am still riveted, waiting to see the next miner emerge. Waiting upon another elation of the first order. I must sign off.

But I can't stay away.
9:03:

We watch for a rope to move
over an old pulley, and hope
It will not break, nor stop
not digital, no
as old as a gold mine it is
how now it looks so fine!
rope over pulley,
lift slowly up
bringing next minor to the top
and more flags wave, waiting
and more kids cry, hoping
the moon was never like this
technically superb
humanly, spare
I marvel more at how humans can connect and care
down in earthly air.