We did it!
Engineers roar, slap each other's
backs, go gaga as Chandrayaan-3
sends Vikram to land on
the Southern Pole of the Moon
opening to the intrepid Pragyan
that will go a-roaming where
no robot has gone before. This
is a huge step for India, yes,
and for the rest of us as we
see our kind cross boundaries
that exist only in the mind,
drawing planetary sustenance
from this feat. Experiments
the rover conducts will be
monitored on Earth, adding
I hope to discussion about
nations, pride and back-
slapping, that universalists
beam into our screens now,
not politicians who ride
on the coattails of engineers,
who bow for achievements
they cannot embody,
although Mother India
is older than any single
leader, and minorities
of all sorts are to be found
among the Chandrayaan staff.
Indran Amirthanayagam c) August 23, 2023
