Hiroshima / Nagasaki
August 6 / 9, 2015
If I float a candle
over decades of distance
will it help us remember
two girls skipping and laughing
will it help us remember
two girls skipping and laughing
on their way to school
when the bomb fell then
two shadows on a wall
If I float a candle
will we picture in our minds
the blasted cities
people running burning
screaming into the river
thousands
and thousands dead
Will we not shy away
from photos of scorched skin
sloughing off hair falling out
in handfuls
blood and vomit
everywhere wounds oddly
lingering not healing
Will we mouth the words
when the bomb fell then
two shadows on a wall
If I float a candle
will we picture in our minds
the blasted cities
people running burning
screaming into the river
thousands
and thousands dead
Will we not shy away
from photos of scorched skin
sloughing off hair falling out
in handfuls
blood and vomit
everywhere wounds oddly
lingering not healing
Will we mouth the words
of our generals and leaders
and know the taste of ash:
“We have to do this
in order to save lives.”
“No they may not surrender
and keep their emperor.”
“No we cannot warn them
with a demo bomb.”
“We will do all we can
to avoid killing civilians.”
“This is the greatest thing
in history.”
If we each float a candle
on memory’s dark river
will we keep the promise
borne now seventy years
and know the taste of ash:
“We have to do this
in order to save lives.”
“No they may not surrender
and keep their emperor.”
“No we cannot warn them
with a demo bomb.”
“We will do all we can
to avoid killing civilians.”
“This is the greatest thing
in history.”
If we each float a candle
on memory’s dark river
will we keep the promise
borne now seventy years
on wind in summer trees—
never, never again
and will that river be
a river of peace
—Dorian Brooks © 2015
never, never again
and will that river be
a river of peace
—Dorian Brooks © 2015
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