Challenger

by STEPHANIE POWELL

1. Purple flowers

You weren’t born when / the Challenger exploded / but you’ve seen / the clouds bursting / fuselage in free fall / Floridian winter / blue / headless skies

2. Floridian winter

limestone tectonic plate / beneath warm air / frothy soil made of / sinkholes / smothered in bull thistle / crabgrass / cracked dandelion

3. Crabgrass

see the vistas of impact / reporters in the weeds / unpacking dropped suitcases / piece to camera / sympathetic hands / from CRT TV / to high definition / 4K / clear panorama / fields of purple flowers / burnt dirt