Michael Gregory: Dust

After they came down

the dust was everywhere

 

eyes ears and mouths

inside and outside

 

pulverized matter

through every opening

 

afflicting exposed tissue

—sometimes mechanically:

 

blocking smaller paths

irritating the flesh

 

—sometimes chemically:

inducing anomalies

 

in cells, chromosomes,

genes and their functions

 

biological changes

subacute to chronic

 

often unpleasant

in the extreme

 

—sometimes, in otherwise healthy

adults, terminal

 

—sometimes, in the young

and unborn, developmental

 

or transgenerational

to show up later

 

dangers Washington knew

and lied to us about

 

the EPA on orders

issued through channels

from the White House

by way of the CEQ

 

telling us it’s ok

it’s just dust after all

 

not enough in the air

to cause significant harm

 

(and as you can see we

aren’t wearing gasmasks)

 

the risk is minimal

(though of course if you have

 

pre-existing conditions

you’ll want to take precautions)

 

so please let’s get back to work

get this mess cleaned up

 

business back to normal

the exchange going

 

let’s show them over there

who did this to us

 

who they’re up against

with our women and men

 

in uniform after them

in their own lairs

 

never letting up

until their oil is ours.

 

for Heidi Dehncke-Fisher

—

From Mr America Drives His Car © Michael Gregory 2013, published by Post-Soviet Depression Press

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Bikini Atoll, Hydrogen bomb test, early 1950s