1953
Posted: 29 Mar 2019, 09:36
Holy smoke, they croaked
The Rosenbergs at Sing Sing.
Now the Reds have the A Bomb.
Monkies in space capsules,
Warning sirens in town,
Sonic booms that once, made
My mother drop the meat loaf
On the linoleum and swear.
At school, the teacher conducted
Duck-and-cover drills, her face
A forced and distant rictus,
The President on television
Talking about fallout shelters
On nights when our parents played
Canasta with the neighbors,
We kids would sneak down
To the basement, make a fort
From a tarpaulin and saw horses.
Stolen bowl of Chex Mix and
My father's green Army flashlight,
We would argue over who would
Best beat back the Commies:
Dick Tracy, Palooka Joe, or Superman.
The Rosenbergs at Sing Sing.
Now the Reds have the A Bomb.
Monkies in space capsules,
Warning sirens in town,
Sonic booms that once, made
My mother drop the meat loaf
On the linoleum and swear.
At school, the teacher conducted
Duck-and-cover drills, her face
A forced and distant rictus,
The President on television
Talking about fallout shelters
On nights when our parents played
Canasta with the neighbors,
We kids would sneak down
To the basement, make a fort
From a tarpaulin and saw horses.
Stolen bowl of Chex Mix and
My father's green Army flashlight,
We would argue over who would
Best beat back the Commies:
Dick Tracy, Palooka Joe, or Superman.