Natalee Cruz
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FALLOUT SHELTER
show me a whole fish
a school of tuna now irradiated
although at home below
tuna cannot duck and cover the way
children of the San Andreas
fault were once taught
hold on to the legs
of desks
hold tight may the shelter not shimmy away
when the earth starts to tremble
parts of the ocean unexplored by human touch
besides our destructive dust
the atomic bomb plummeting into the depths
a sharp poke leaves a bruise
they died because their houses were not clean
they don’t know what we know
we duck and cover
we live like turtles
walk and take care
not to expose our necks to predators
when the alarm sounds
if the alarm sounds
we will run not walk to our new home
a new age
illuminated droplets
falling until finally afloat
merging into a singular home
it has always been safe at home
what is there to say
about Christmas lights
twinkling like scales
under the afternoon sun?
a school of tuna now irradiated
although at home below
tuna cannot duck and cover the way
children of the San Andreas
fault were once taught
hold on to the legs
of desks
hold tight may the shelter not shimmy away
when the earth starts to tremble
parts of the ocean unexplored by human touch
besides our destructive dust
the atomic bomb plummeting into the depths
a sharp poke leaves a bruise
they died because their houses were not clean
they don’t know what we know
we duck and cover
we live like turtles
walk and take care
not to expose our necks to predators
when the alarm sounds
if the alarm sounds
we will run not walk to our new home
a new age
illuminated droplets
falling until finally afloat
merging into a singular home
it has always been safe at home
what is there to say
about Christmas lights
twinkling like scales
under the afternoon sun?