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Five Minutes Ago They Dropped the Bomb


After the bomb dropped
the homophobic cop
and the steambath patron he was handcuffing
melted into each other's arms
into infinity

After the bomb fell
concrete angels in all the graveyards
took wing
Every bell in the world
gave one last high-pitched ring into oblivion

Five minutes ago
a tear or two slipped in the halls of karma
at the insignificant passing of
3rd. dimensional existence –
3rd. stone from the sun – reality factor
time factor irrelevant –
total dissolution of creatures
   IQ 100     EQ 35
evolutionary phase median ape to bodhisattva

The bodhisattvas wept
Buddha watched mountains raise their final crest –
burst into pulverized space/time

Basho's spirit watched every moment in nature
cruelly bloom into the final haiku moment of infinity

Five minutes ago
the Marxists got their final synthesis
the neo-nazis their final solution
the capitalists their last boom from the economy

Five minutes ago we kissed
said "Shit! They've done it …"
Armageddon - Apocalypse

Five minutes ago Time Must Have a Stop
five minutes ago we passed into borrowed time
five minutes multiplied 12 times by the hour
24 times by the day
365 times by the year
and 38 times since Hiroshima shimmered into oblivion

Five minutes ago we passed into borrowed time again
reality factor minus:
3 million
994 thousand
and sixty

five minutes ago


- Chris Faiers  (1984)





Author's note: this poem was multi-published in 1984 -
in the chapbook of the same title,
in "The Unfinished Anthology" (Unfinished Monument Press),
in "Anti-War Poems: an anthology" edited by Stehen Gill (Vesta Publications),
& I believe in "The Americas Review".
It was republished in "Crossing Lines" (Seraphim Editions, 2008).


War-era poets share experiences
Toronto Star review of "Crossing Lines" by Joe Fiorito



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revised 16 November 2008
URL http://www.eelpie.org/cricket/five_minutes_ago.htm