poetry lamenting war #10

[truepenny]

Forecast


The bombs are not falling yet--
Only snow, wet snow, thick snow. Storybook snow.
Yet like most of us, I keep waiting for the bombs.
We know that one day the weatherman will say,
Good morning, America! Dress warmly.
Stay indoors if you can. Try not to drive.
And now for the outlook. Observe
Our wonderful satellite photograph:
In this area, we expect a high-pressure area
Of MX missiles, and over here, to this side
Of the Rockies, something is brewing,
Something radioactive. But cheer up.
This is only the outlook. Weather is wonderful;
It can always change. For today,
Your typical air masses are cold but stable,
And the SAC umbrella remains furled
In the closet of its silos, underground bases,
And twenty-four-hour sky-watches. Today
We have snow, wet snow, thick snow. Storybook snow.
Today we are going to live happily ever after.

--Kelly Cherry, Natural Theology. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1988.

LINKS:
An interview with Kelly Cherry, also with a poem and a list of Cherry's books.