The Atomic Club Poem by Gert Strydom

J. Robert Oppenheimer he was of them one,
of the atomic club who like gods did turn people to stone,
as if they had power that connected to heaven, earth and hell
had clenched it straight from a ancient Nordic Yggdrasil
and when the dropping of the nuclear bombs were done
they thought that they had done very well
most Americans were sure that it was God's will

almost no one laughed, cried and most were totally silent
and publicly J. Robert Oppenheimer quoted Vishnu,
the entire world was shocked at the explosions that were so violent
but acted as if this kind of punishment to the Japanese were due

as if the burning radiation and hell of atomic weapons were pure
and of their impact the line from the Bhagavad-Gita was sure:
"now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds."

© Gert Strydom