LUCKY MAN

LUCKY MAN

lucky you were
to survive
terrible things

you did not bomb Dresden
or Hamburg

or all the towns
and bridges
in Japan

prelude to
that most terrible
of all
invasions

in avoidance of which
they removed two
whole
   cities off the map

writing me into life
and thd whole of history
a bit differently

and you
      not plunging to Earth
fear and panic-striken
in a crippled Lancaster

symbol of war’s
    terrible fall from grace

the Icarus
in us all

the suns, twin suns
they dropped

casting
        such a shadow

lucky you were
        lucky your life in

regard to terrible things