Poem: Growing Up

The 1950s were all about
Giving ourselves The American Jitters:
The Day The Earth Stood Still
Huntley Brinkley
The Thing
Ed Murrow
The Blob
Fidel
Godzilla
Senator Joe McCaerthy
Gorgo.

Wild-eyed Nikita pounded his loafers on TV.
He promised to bury us.
The Cold War ignited on Ike's watch
As alarms shrieked duck and cover.
Dad was in the basement
Sandbagging the jam closet
And caching beans and gasoline.

We scared ourselves for good
and grew up to fear nothing
but nothing itself.
---o0o---

jack brummet