Monday, April 8, 2013

Dear Mr. Kim,

Dear Mr. Kim,

Please don't drop
     Atom Bombs
          on me

I don't follow
     the news
          closely
But they say
     you are
          upset
     About
          something...

You see
     I grew up
     during the cold war
And the Russians
     Supposedly
Wanted to drop
     Atom Bombs
     on me

I never knew
     what we did
          to deserve it
But I'm sure
     there was
          something-
To be very upset
     about

It's not so much
     for me I plead
But think of all
     the trees
     and butterflies
     and children
          and such
     Who will be
          turned
     to glass
     and dust

I have been surprised
     for a long time
That we
     are still alive-
That the Atom Bombs
     of the 50's
     didn't drop

I remember mom
     putting canned goods
     and blankets
     in the hall closet
So we could survive
     in the hallway
(I never figured out
how that was
actually going
to work)

at grade school
they had us file
     neatly into the hallway
and crouch in
     the corners
I still remember the
     look of the
     grey tiles - close up

It was cool
     and quiet
in the hallway -
A welcome break
and something different
     to do

The next year
     we were taught to
     scramble under
     our wooden desks
     (the desks still had a hole for
     an ink well - the wood stained blue
     with ancient use)

The next year
we were told to just
put our heads down
and not to look at
     the bright flash
so our eyes wouldn't
melt

The next year
there were no more
drills
I suppose they had
     figured out
What we kids
     already knew
     No amount of hallway
          or wooden desk
     Would do much
          good...

A friend whose family
     had more money
     built a bomb shelter...

I don''t know
     if this affected
my childhood
     but
I have always had
     an endearing
     sense of
     fatalism...

So Dear Mr Kim
Please remember
     that your friend Dennis
Would be injured too
     and basketball
     would be shut down-
Lots of people
     and their pets
Would be melted into
     glass
          and dust



And Butterflies
    
     would

          cry

Common Cold; notes

4/8/13
1:01 AM!

if the day 
     ever comes, 
When we are 
     allowed to ask 
-really deep questions 
     -and get a straight 
          answer 
One of my first questions will be...

Why germs? 
     Why Viruses and Bacteria?
And why 
     me?
Sneezing and Sniffling 
     and Snorting now 
for days and days 
     not fun/boring!

Goodness knows 
     how much longer 
     this will last 
I have things to do 
Places to go 
I can't Tango 
     and sneeze!

Why did the Gods 
     invent the 
          Common Cold 
(and much worse stuff)

Trapped in these 
     flimsy bodies 
We suffer so 

One night I can sleep 
The next one 
     not 
And I know I am 
     fortunate- 
to only be 
     as sick 
     as I am! 

One day 
     it may be 
much worse 
And then 
     we will
          die...

And through it all 
we are supposed 
     to be 
Upbeat and cheerful 
and accomplish 
     great 
          accomplishments 
          to enhance 
          the collective 
               consciousness 
          of humanity

Oh bother
     where's the kleenex 
     and the vapo-rub
  
I sneeze...