This angry old man's poem by the gentle iconic New Zealand poet
Allen Curnow uses pantoum form to express his anger and repugnance for the nuclear bomb tests in the Pacific.
go darPacific 1945--1995
go darker stiA Pantoum
goo...if th'assassination
goocould trammel up the consequence, and catch,
goowith his surcease, success; that but this blow
goomight be the be-all and the end-all...here,
goobut here, upon this bank and shoal of time
goowe'ld jump the life to come...
might be the be-all and--Macbeth
Quantifiable griefs. The daily kill.
goOne bullet, with his name on, his surcease.
"The casualties were few, the damage nil"--
goThe scale was blown up, early in the piece.
One bullet with his name on, his surcease.
goLaconic fire, short work the long war mocks.
The scale was blown up, early in the piece--
goHow many is few? After the aftershocks.
laconic fire--short work! The long war mocks,
godragging out our dead. What calibration says
how many is few, after the aftershocks,
of just such magnitude? We heard the news,
dragging out our dead. What calibration says,
goright! You can stop crying now, was it really
of just such magnitude? We heard the news
goagain, the statistical obscene, the cheery
right! You can stop crying now, was it really
gothe sky that fell, that boiling blue lagoon?
Again, the statistical obscene, the cheery
gosalutation and bright signature tune.
The sky that fell! That boiling blue lagoon!
goJacques Chirac's rutting tribe--with gallic
salutation and bright signature tune--
gothermonuclear hard-on. Ithyphallic
Jacques! Chirac's rutting tribe, with gallic
goeye for the penetrable, palm-fringed hole--
thermonuclear hard-on, ithyphallic
goBANG! full kiloton five below the atoll.
Eye for the penetrable, palm-fringed hole,
gowhose trigger-finger, where he sat or knelt down--
BANG! full kiloton five, below the atoll
gohad it off, bedrock deep orgasmic meltdown--
whose trigger-finger, where he sat or knelt down,
gofifty years back, fired one as huge as then
had it off bedrock deep, orgasmic meltdown--
gowhose but Ferebee's--Hiroshima come again!--
fifty years back, fired one as huge as then
gofireballed whole cities while "People...copulate, pray..."
Whose but Ferebee's?--Hiroshima come again!--
gobombadier, U. S. Army?
Enola Gay
fireballed whole cities while "People...copulate, pray..."
goNot God fingering Gomorrah but the man,
bombadier, U.S. Army.
Enola Gay
goshuddering at 30,000 feet began--
not God fingering Gomorrah, but the man,
gothe colonel her pilot who named her for his Mom--
shuddering at 30,000 feet began--
go'Little Boy' delivered--her run for home:
the colonel her pilot, who named her for his Mom,
goflew her to roost (at last) in the Smithsonian.
"Little Boy" delivered her run for home
golighter by the Beast's birth, her son's companion:
flew her to roost (at last) in the Smithsonian:
goare tourists' hearts and hopes, viewing her there,
lighter by the Beast's birth, her son's companion?
goJacques' Marianne's delivery, is that near?
Are tourists' hearts and hopes, viewing her there,
gopronounced infection-free and safely tested--
Jacques' Marianne's delivery, is that near?--
goWhat effluent, what fall-out's to be trusted?
pronounced infection-free and safely tested
gofor carcinogenic isotope unseen fall-out--
what effluent, what fall-out's to be trusted?
goThe Beast once born, who's answering the call-out?
For carcinogenic isotope, unseen fall-out,
gofor the screaming city under the crossed hairs,
the Beast once born. Who's answering the call-out?
gono time even to know it's one of THEIRS--
for the screaming city under the crossed hairs,
go"The casualties were few, the damage nil"--?
No time even to know! It's one of theirs--
goquantifiable griefs. The daily kill.
quantifiable griefs. The daily kill.October--November, 1995