Heavy Metals

I am the smith. I feed my melt-pot,

fashion carbon steely blades

while coulter and the mouldboard stab

and break the clod in forest glades.

In sultry peace and blood-raised anger,

I hammer out my forging trade.

Lockheed, Fokker, Curtis, Hawker,

Avro, Gloster, Handley Page,

Colt, Beretta, Walther, Mauser,

Springfield, Ruger in a rage.

Holland, Holland, Boss and Purdey,

Woodward, Greener: golden age.

Every atom ofthe arsenal forged

in distant dying sun

in unholy Trinity now lends new

form to plough and gun.

Harry S. and Oppenheimer, Fermi,

Teller, what have you done?

And did they pray that He may guide

us in His ways, now battle's won?