The Annihilatory
Let us profess:
We hold the power which is the greatest fear,
This profundity sprung from investigative malice;
This comprehension which we now release
Into the Universe from out its leaden chalice.
We hold the planet Earth in this atomic gauntlet,
Unable to release, not knowing how to hold.
We are in frozen ecstasy, we are in fear,
Yet leer in our salacious lectionary.
The gauntlet, loose, tightens as others grasp the power,
As they slip malignant fingers in these finger holds of fear,
To reach beyond the reach of parables, of ancient doctrine,
Clenching, to connect their all to discontinuity.
WE are involved beyond involvement.
WE are before this gauntlet, and within, and without.
WE stand before us, shaking, gritting teeth
In this horrific, grand, and grinding malocclusion:
Let us pray, ....
Roger Davies
Monitor read out
Tuesday Tuesday morning
Situation Normal:
December
Situation Normal:
Close of this decade
Situation Normal:
All Sectors identified
A century passes
Situation Normal:
Monitor read out
Alert
Alert
Seek code
Code Search
qualify immediately
Code 1
Input Requirement: HRQ
human response quotient
request input
request input
Code 1:
still seeking
human response quotient
failure to input
failure to input
Override indicated
Override HRQ
Code 1:
Action
Strike, Strike, Strike
Monitor read out
Result -- Code 1 Action:
Victory
Victory
2 Z factor remain
1 X factor remains
Victory Victory
2 of us left
only
1 of them
Kasara
I dug this old rock up
in the garden the other day
probably from an old wall
it was large and flat and it
had writing on it which read
Mother Earth wants to know
if a poet must cover himself
with poetry on the steps
of the public library and
light the whole pile on fire
to stop these nuclear test
explosions deep in my heart
Danzr von Thai
After Effects
Softly falling
to Earth
the spirit
searches
for itself.
Wondering
amidst
the rubble,
it finds
the remains
of its
former self
floating by,
its mind
in the
elements
of time.
Frantically
it searches
for a new way
to exist
when it realizes
it’s not alone.
Vapos of
another
“once-being”
runs through
its mind
to find
a sprite
crying
in the dust
of life.
It tries
valiantly to
communicate
to the
saddened
sprite
by speaking
but
no words
come forth.
Nothing
is heard
but the
wailing
wind
as it tears
the earth
apart.
Michelle D. Legare
She had the face that launched 1000 nuclear warheads. World War III was
fought over her. A hail of bombs and missiles and it was over in six
minutes. She had been a fashion queen, Park Avenue's society child. She
had come a long way from Pleasantville.
For days she wandered in the rubble. Desolation and rubble were her only
companions in the wilderness. Finally she spied a figure leaning against
the pump of a bombed out gas station. It was Adam, her old high school
boyfriend from Pleasantville. Radiation had turned him into a walking
talking gargoyle. She thought he looked even worse than when he had zits.
She had sworn years ago that she would never have anything to do with Adam
again, not if he were the last man on earth. He was!
Mick Cusimano
Today I’m feeling moody and down
‘Cos the once blue/green seas
have turned a filmy, murky brown.
What do you feel or care?
If the earth of trees, it’s bare.
The world is overheated and the sun is hot
About the future, you just forgot.
Our rivers and oceans house no life, only a
festered stink,
Birds and animals, for them to breathe, you
didn’t even think.
Plastic items, [to save money] you didn’t
keep,
You only bought them on special, cheap.
Away, you did throw
Now, the trees, plants and grass won't grow.
This world you took for granted, is years,
millions old
And you were careless, ruthless and bold.
Your throw away style of life
Has made it hard and full of strife.
Now the earth’s dead, decaying and barren
But you and your carelessness, aptly carry
on
Throwing your recyclables away
Lucky if we survive another day.
Your great-grand kids will never know
How it felt to taste the fresh food, we could
once grow
In days long gone.
Did you need it written in neon?
Don’t worry about the destructive muck
Why not pass the malignant buck
You will say with a smile and no shame,
"It’s the ozone layer, that’s to blame".
T A Hateley
Abhorred and aborted consulates
Dot the wretched bombed-out
'Scape their oils their lubrications
Yellow their lucky-stars delirious
Their lugubrious hindlegs broken
Lives of luxury drawn inside their
Walls guide us to the universal
Quick-start it says: " el me gates"
Steven Adkins
the keys are turned for the last time
the button is pressed
and released
the unmanned fleets embrace the skies
but feel animosity for their creators
the creatures below consumed by greed
and insecurity reluctantly halt their
squabbling
but it is too late
the bombs do not even utter "goodbye"
the rest of the world hasn't a chance
Dave Benjamin
No more days of heaven.
We've traveled down them all.
We've no more will to journey.
Too tired of the fall.
No more days of heaven.
No sun to rise and fall.
We have no need of sunshine.
The darkness hides the all.
No more days of heaven.
We've spent them one and all.
We grew them like a forest
then chopped and watched them fall.
No more days of heaven.
The big and small both fall.
We've sold the world to mammon.
He bought us, one and all.
No more days of heaven.
We've buried each and all.
We dressed them up as soldiers
then shot and let them fall.
No more days of heaven.
We've let the atom fall.
And for who live, life is death
and death a gift to all.
Richard Kearns
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He sat on the bench
and fed the pigeons
and gave me candy.
He smiled
but his eyes were overcast,
clouded with reflections.
Long curls fell about his cheeks.
I saw the number.
I thought he had a tattoo
like Uncle Jack got in the Navy.
I wanted to ask
but Momma wouldn't let me.
Momma said
it was a bad thing
and painful.
I thought it must've hurt
and wondered
how they had done it.
Once he said "Miriam"
under his breath
and the name sounded heavy.
He looked at me
and my heart beat fast
and I was scared.
His head shook
and he gave me candy.
He lived across the street
from the park.
I watched him from our livingroom window.
Once when Momma was shopping
I went and sat next to him
on the bench.
He gave me corn
and I gave it to the birds.
I looked at the number.
He saw me look, I know he did.
He looked at the number
and looked the other way.
He muttered "Miriam" like before.
I wanted to ask
but couldn't make myself
so I said
"Who is Miriam?"
Ken McAdams
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A fearful peace brought he, this glowing entity
Driven from the ground now he's heaven bound
And he rides the skies in a silver bird of prey
carrying him closer to our judgment day
Never knowing were o