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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria University College, Wellington N.Z. Vol. 20, No. 6. May 9, 1957

Little Bomb

Little Bomb

(With thanks to the "New Statesman" and a bow in the direction of Blake's grave.)

Little Bomb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee;
Not so Dirty as the last.
With a Clean, effective blast,
Annihilating all, with just
The ver uminimum of dust?
Did he tell thee that he means
No mutation in the genes,
Minimising (so he hopes)
Radioactive isotopes?

Little Bomb, I made thee,
All of us have made thee,
When the World was old and sad
Power drove our rulers mad;
All their cruelty and fear
In thy lineaments appear.
These, with my own apathy,
Framed a fearful cemetery
Where the human form divine
Drivels to its last decline.

Little Bomb, who'll drop thee?
Lunacy will drop thee;
Lunacy, which generates
Hateful poisons, poisonous hates.
Lunacy, which offers Earth
Painful death and monstrous birth.
Thou a bomb and I a bloke.
We shall both go up in smoke;
But, if that is only bluff,
Strontium 90 Is Enough.

Reginald Reynolds.