[HiTech RedNeck]

"And among them shone, if but a while
A star of ____________;...
(Help me out here)...
????"

<sensitive-poet-mode> ... a star of silvery metal bright
where gossamer glass from icy dew
gave way; and roamed in rarefied space's night
the vessel of Columbian dreams we knew
now perished; ...</sensitive-poet-mode>

That's enough for my brain at this hour. Good luck on the song.

[Uncle Jaque]

Re: "... a star of silvery metal bright
where gossamer glass from icy dew
gave way; and roamed in rarefied space's night
the vessel of Columbian dreams we knew
now perished; ..."

I like it! The contrast of imagery between fire and ice is intriguing; extreme peace, silence, and tranquility of space contrasted with the intense heat and chaos of re-entry. There is a lot of metaphorical potential in there somewhere, don't you think?

I'm having dificulty maintaining some metrical symetry and continuity with this - not a big deal in "free verse" I suppose, but it does matter if one intends to put it to some sort of coherent music.

It would be interesting to compose a musical tribute like this as a "team effort".

"Columbia" certainly was.