Death of a Conqueror (1907-1979)*
Did we murder John Wayne with our nuclear dust?
The “Duke” was invincible when
He won World War II in the films we all knew,
A surrogate father back then.
Did we murder John Wayne? Was it all the bad scripts?
Or cancer, from taxes we paid?
Did he lack the true grit to survive from a bit
Of fallout our precious bombs made?
Did we murder John Wayne? Officials say no,
Those nuclear tests were risk free.
Like John, to us youth, bureaucrats tell the truth
In this nuclear land of the Free.
*The incidence of cancer in the cast of The Conqueror (1956)
Filmed in Utah is 65% above the national average.
Copyright © Steve Eng | Year Posted 2010
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