It was 40 years ago today … I remember the excitement and the grainy black and white ‘ultrasound’ from another planet as Armstrong emerged from the lunar module. Buzz Aldrin took this photo (above) of his own footprint. And unlike a footprint in the dust and sand on Earth, with no wind to blow them away, the first human prints on the moon can last for a million years.
Just months earlier:
Earthrise, the first picture of the earth, taken by the Apollo 8 crew from the far side of moon, December 24 1968
“Tiefer, tiefer, irgendwo in der Tiefe gibt es ein Licht”
(remember Hounds of Love (?) Hello Earth – “deeper, deeper, somewhere in the depth there is a light.”)
Possibly bizarrely, what comes to my mind as a feat of similar beauty and daring is Philippe Petit’s walk between the twin towers. This, a footprint in air, and as evanescent – but unforgettable as a perfect gesture, and in the extraordinary series of images of the event.
Moonlight slanting by Matsuo Basho Moonlight slanting Through the bamboo grove; A cuckoo crying.
Westrow Cooper 
4 replies on “Let’s play Twister, let’s play Risk…”
Watched the Philippe Petit film last week – brilliant. Hounds of love – great – love that, do you know the origins of the text? It’s also on a Medieval Babes track, I think, but they might just be copying Kate Bush. Haiku – love them. Have recently made a resolution to try and write one haiku per day, failing miserably – I’ve written 3 so far and none of them are very good!!
Haikus – more difficult than they look! At least that’s my experience. But keep going. We also watched the Philippe Petit film on tv last week; so beautiful and utterly breathtaking when he steps out onto the wire.
I was talking complete crap about Kate Bush and The Medieval Babes. They do a track with German content which sounds very like part of Hounds of Love but it isn’t the same. However you prompted me to listen again in the car so that was good.
I love Kate Bush – definitely the right kind of mood music when thinking about the moon landing! nice post.