Words of Heartache

I write down the words that come over the airwaves and play out the radio in the kitchen. We stand in silence, and I write down the words and the promises to understand what happened. On little patches of paper, I write them down.

Page 1. something went terribly wrong. broke up in the morning skies. no prospects for the crew.

Page 2. these remarkable achievements. there were spiders spinning webs. willingness to accept the dangers.

Page 3. is the science worth it? as horrible as this is, it is a rare event. if you just joined us, a tragedy has occurred.

Page 4. we will begin the process immediately to recover their loved ones. we trust the prayers of the nation will be with them.

Page 5. many of us were standing by the runway waiting for their return. we dedicate ourselves everyday to make sure these kinds of things do not occur and when they do to understanding why.

Page 6. so that we can resolve what happened. our immediate focus is the families. the President called. we have impounded the data.

Page 7. find what happened. fix it. move on.

Page 8. my promise to the crew and crew families is that the investigation we have just launched will find the cause of what happened.

Page 9. they know when it happened. they know where. they just don't know why.

In stunned silence, I write down the words. My tears fall to the floor. No words can do them justice.

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