After the Philosopher's Stone
By Khakjaan Wessington
“...Western experts suggested the civilian space programme provided cover for Iran’s development of long-range missiles capable of carrying a nuclear pay-load. ”
-Timesonline, February 3, 2010
“If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the mighty one “
-J. Robert Oppenheimer quoting from the Bhagavad Gita, upon witnessing the Trinity nuclear test, July 16, 1945
The ultimate superlative is 'bomb,'
Because a nuke is absolute.
And like the word it stands aplomb
Among creations: techne's golden fruit.
Just like the rarest cultivars, to care
And rear a fearsome edible
Requires a gaze that fears no glare:
No thought too wicked nor incredible
For tasks like these, it takes a will of stone—
Of mercury—to shed taboo.
A superman ought not atone
For crafting kryptonite. He'll later rue
The rationalizations used to mint the rock,
And more, regret that he established doomsday's clock.
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