This poem was originally written for and submitted to Writer Monk's monthly poetry contest on social conscience August 1, 2026
Morning rose over two cities
that no longer knew their own names~
light too bright, silence too large,
that felt like the world forgetting how to breathe.
Shadows clung to walls where people once stood,
soft silhouettes of lives interrupted mid-gesture,
mid-dream.
The air carried a strange stillness,
as though time itself had bowed its head.
And yet from the scorched earth,
from the quiet ash,
from the trembling remnants of what had been~
a small, stubborn pulse began again.
Hands reached for hands; voices rose in prayer.
Memory gathered itself into a vow
that sorrow would not be forgotten,
and peace would not be postponed.
Even now, the sky remembers
the day humanity learned how fragile it can be.
If you could have been
part of the population
in Hiroshima and Nagasaki
at ground zero
you would have seen
total annihilation
when the bombs were dropped
(Little Boy and Fat Man)
and if it weren't enough
you should become 'hibakusha'
victims of nuclear fallout radiation
the perpetrators censored the news
and only the survivors
were evidence all war must be stopped
Nagasaki
There are nights when things become clear
when the Pacific Ocean lived up to its name
I sat on deck, listened to the heartbeat of
the vessel, which ticked faster when an engineer
opened a door and came out on the deck
Laughter in the mess hall, no, I was not at ease
in their company, too old at sixty
I have tried the swagger, the misogyny, where
Women were either whores or mothers
The ship was bound for Nagasaki, and I had
been here before when looking for a graveyard
where Portuguese sailors had died when
Japan was an unknown land
When walking down the gangway, didn't
to say goodbye, it was dinner time anyway
before flying back to Europe
people of Nagasaki were living comfortable lives
most did not know what the giant bubble meant
august 9th, 1945 many did not take cover
not that cover would have done them a bit of good
some were fascinated at first, wondering what it was
not understanding it was the end of their world
an atom bomb dropped on many innocents
civilians - men women and children
shame on the instigators
against everything humanitarian, we have ever known
Hirosimizing,
Nagasaki impacts,
Atomic bombing pejors.
Scary scabs began,
Debris of recoil doomsday,
Fetus fleets on their way out.
Mushroom cloud embeds,
Tympanic torn by air blast,
This atrocity noted.
There is strength there is power. “Mommy, look at this lovely flower!”
There is war and there is strife. “C’mon lets go fly a kite!”
There is guns and there is knives. “Look at my kite rise and rise!” There are warlords there are tyrants. “Hey Jo, can you hold the call on those Clients?” There are Officers and there are sergeants. “This silver is of the finest argent!” There is my skin, burnt ashy and gray. “But daddy, Are you coming home to stay?”
Shadows only remain
Where life stood its ground
Far above their air
Its devastation burned down
(To all those who have lost from war...)
Heaven above
Mystery below
Fat Man Speaks
Approximately 60,000 people died instantly on the morning Fat Man was dropped on
Nagasaki. This is to remember them. Not to make a statement of opinion.
© Feb 21 2010 Charles Henderson
( Lyrics by Queen )
Teo torriatte konomama iko
Aisuruhito yo
Shizukana yoi ni, Hikario tomoshi
Itoshiki oshieo idaki
Let us cling together as the years go by
Oh my love, my love
In the quiet of the night
Let our candle always burn
Let us never lose the lessons we have learned
Are our lessons learnt, time will tell
Berlin Wall, barriers fell
Is it a start, or a start to come
Is this race always on the run
We need to look and look around
No more we hear that whistling sound
It's seems to be a more silent kill
Typical Human, in it's typical will
http://www.thehighlanderspoems.com/war-2.php
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