General Black's Dream Poem by Robert Pettit

General Black awoke from something so frightening.
He said to his wife at five thirty in the morning:
“Honey, I just had that dream that’s been reoccurring.
I saw a matador killing a bull in the ring.
Why every night would I dream about such a strange thing?
They need me today in Washington for a meeting.
I will return tonight. Will you need money for something? ”

Professor Gradishar was discussing politics
about nuclear war with believers and skeptics:
“Who survives a holocaust, how many millions dead?
What happens to civilization in years ahead?
I am so sorry I kept you with so much to say.
I will be lecturing at the Pentagon today.”

General Bogen commanded the defense quarters
at Omaha, Nebraska, he issued the orders.
He viewed all strategic positions on a large screen
at a worldwide scale when something suddenly was seen.
A blip on the view would indicate a UFO.
They tried to make contact with it via radio.
General Bogen said, “Go to Condition Yellow”.
His orders were carried out by Colonel Cascio.
A flyer identified the object by visual sight.
The pilot said it was an off-course commercial flight.
A computer malfunction caused a flash on the screen.
It started transpiration to a horrible scene.

A six-plane bomber squadron was north of Alaska.
The crews were receiving messages from Nebraska.
They ordered the planes to proceed with a full attack
Their target would be Moscow. There was no turning back.

Professor Gradishar was now at the Pentagon
He addressed all the Chiefs of Staff, back in Washington.
He had a question for those defending the nation:
“What will the results be for our civilization?
Will there be a winner after the devastation?
Which culture will survive in the annihilation?
I want to see an American, not a Russian! ”
The professor then halted with an awestruck motion.
This squadron had begun to cross the Arctic Ocean.
The Secretary of Defense then made this statement:
“This is a huge urgency, please call the President! ”


The Commander In Chief now knew the emergency.
He ordered the downing of the planes crossing the sea.
Fighter planes pursued the bombers all to no avail.
Depleting their fuel, each pursuer soon would fail.

The President said to his interpreter with fear:
“I must speak directly with the Soviet Premier.
Translate everything he will say very carefully.
It’s the gravest situation in our history.”

The President then spoke on the phone to the Kremlin
by addressing the Premier with very somber chagrin:
“Mr. Chairman, our attacking is all mistaken.
Our mutual peace policy is not forsaken.
We wish to help you in all ways so we can avoid
the dropping of the bomb or Moscow will be destroyed! ”

All attempts to stop the bombing were a frantic race.
By now, the bombers encroached on Soviet air space.
The Russian fighter planes tried to halt the invasion.
However, they proceeded through clever evasion.
General Bogen was now in contact with Moscow,
discussing plans with Russians to stop it all somehow:
“Colonel Cascio, tell them how to destroy our planes”
The colonel would say nothing from personal refrains.
The general ordered someone else for instruction.
He helped the Russians with aid in the plane destruction.
The colonel then assaulted the general and said:
“The general is a traitor! He wants us all dead!
I’m taking over this command” is what he would say.
Two MPs appeared for taking the colonel away.

General Black was over New York City in flight
The mission worried him as the buildings were in sight.
The President ordered him to bombing the city.
Moscow destroyed was now a high probability.

The ambassador was speaking to the President
He was at Moscow’s embassy before the event.
With the city evacuated, he was alone.
Following his very last words was a shrieking tone.
Thermonuclear heat was melting his telephone.
The worst that was possible became reality.
One bomber succeeded in destroying the city.

The President now issued his most dreaded command:
“General Black, dropp the bomb as we already planned”.
After releasing, the general took cyanide.
The thoughts that passed through his mind were these before he died:
“I now know the meaning of the dream I had before.
It was I who was killing. I was the matador! ”