Occasionally I stumble across a bit of art – a photograph, a short story, a drawing, a poem – that makes a connection in several areas that I have interests in. Today’s poem by Keith Gottschalk is one of those pieces.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve always been interested in spaceflight and aviation. So the first hook this poem put in me was the tie to those fields; anyone who has studied the history of spaceflight is likely to immediately catch the title of this poem and it’s obvious reference to Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space.

The second hook was the opening line. As someone who has been lucky enough to have lived his life surrounded by strong women, I immediately appreciated and welcomed the theme of the poet. In a society that too often marginalizes women, I think it’s important to be reminded of the amazing achievements women have made, not only in aviation and spaceflight, but in all endeavors.

The line about Judith Resnik was bittersweet and sharp. I grew up not too far from where Judith grew up, and would always stop by the small plaque to her in Akron-Canton airport to pay my respects whenever I flew. His line about the sky exacting sati brings a tear to my eye; it’s such a beautiful way to describe her loss and how it felt.

This is the first poem I’ve ever read or come across by Keith Gottschalk, but it’s probably not going to be the last. I tend to be streaky like that; I find something I like and I tend to want to learn more and more. The same holds true for some of the names in this poem that I didn’t recognize.

traditionalists always fear women who fly
the hooded finger pronounces the sentence:
                                  witch
enflamed
leering eyes menace:
                                  meet your match
& the manne at the bar counter
grouse: just because we name you
                                  goose chick bird
doesn't mean you should take off, hey?

only when a suffragette flew at the king's horse
& her sisters touched down in parliament
could

       Raymonde de Laroche
              Amelia Earhart

dance with the sky

from Caroline Herschel to Carolyn Shoemaker
from Maria Mitchell to Patricia Whitelock
it was tough for angels to touch the stars

                     Valentina Tereshkova
                     Worked up a new tapestry
                     With weft of silk of parachutes
                     & the warp of skies

first
                                  but the seagull allowed to soar only once

Sevetlana Savitskaya welded her colours to the mast
                                  & her voice to the Duma
Sally rode the heavens
                                  lit the eternal flame remembering
Judith Resnik
                                  for whose devotion the sky exacted sati
Mae Jemison
                                  raised our colours, saluted Bessie Coleman
Helen Sharman
                                  commuted from a Mars factory to earth orbit
& Shannon's lucid e-mail

                     beckoning Heike Walpot

                     up from her Lufthansa joystick:

                     "the stars are always brighter
                     on the other side of the hatch."

--Keith Gottschalk