Seventy-five years ago, on this very date,
one U.S.-dropped bomb made Japanese incinerate.
Some are still alive who survived this momentous blast.
It may be number one in our atonement for the past.
And just three days later came a second mushroom cloud.
Hiroshima, Nagasaki. Our worst selves were proud.
Yes, it helped to end world war where eighty million died.
But it’s not a moment that we look upon with pride.
“Little Boy” and “Fat Man” were the last A-bombs deployed.
They ushered in the age of fear which we have since enjoyed.
Through the cold war Russia sought to match our deadly missiles,
causing paranoia with loud sirens, bells and whistles.
Many years they stoked our fears as nukes proliferated.
As protection, MAD was vastly overrated.
Nowadays, nine countries possess the atomic bomb.
The more the scarier and subtle threats upset the calm.
The worldwide stockpile can be best described as just insane.
And our great leader once suggested nuke a hurricane.
Odds are even we won’t have another big event.
So we can wait to be wiped out by the environment.