For Whom the Bell Tolls

“My God, what have we done?”
- Colonel Paul Tibbets
B- 29 Pilot, "Enola Gay"



HIROSHIMA

leap of faith
jump into the water
soar into the sky.

run like a mad man
go for the stars
and catch the sun.

a race for life
a contest between
the devil and man.

split the atom
drop the bomb
run for your life,
hide from the fall out
or be doomed
like the rest of us.



Note: The Atomic Bomb nicknamed Little Boy was dropped from the B- 29 Enola Gay exploded at approximately 8:15 a.m. (Japan Standard Time) on August 6, 1945 killing more than 200,000 people...



Nuclear Winter

I am standing under the evening sun,
its iced heat cooling my burned soul.
Quickly, the zinnias and marigold wrinkled in despair,
fading into oblivion. Our shadows lasted a lifetime
of insanity- the petals dropped,
my chocolate skin sagged.
The acid rain finally fell from the great beyond
Standing at the dusty crossroads, time stood still for a moment
Reaching for my folded-faded umbrellas;
I tried to ward off the heartless attack from above.
Alas, boldness as it may be, useless in reality.
My golden tan and all, dreams of eternal
salvation came to a tragic end.



First Published in Poetic Voices C2003
http://www.poeticvoices.com/Poetry/0308poems.html