under the crow wing

during the hot cold war
of the 1950s
the strategic air command
rattled every schoolhouse
in america with sonic booms & flyovers

our teacher ordered us

to hide under desks
& line up in basement hallways
stand straight & firm against
     whomever

often i thought

where's the courage
to face down the nukes
at high noon with a smile on your face
and that last deep breath
of the earth on your lips
as you had come
to love it

'cause ya know a bomb shelter

is only as good as
its madison avenue deception

if you've got family jewels

don't bother hiding them

crows make their flight path

     regardless
they're survivors     they'll find a way
the markets will crash on the plain
of inter-continental-ballistic-missile-claptrap

there's no more money

     in fear

--- e b bortz