Faded Red and Yellow Paper Perspectives

I must summon forth the librarian in my mind
protected behind her counter and wall of pamphlets
repeating:
"No sir, we don't have that book and it's out of print"
before plunking down coinage to buy a book

I've reduced myself to to J. Edgar Hoover's rants
about what the Russian communist bosses are doing
how we can continue to keep our knees clean

synopsis printed over blood spattered cover
a red Rorschach blot
projecting our own paranoia

Khrushchev and Stalin figure prominently
intend to dominate us if we should
let down our guard

a cover price of 50 cents
I still bought it for half off
almost 50 years later
when the wall had already been crushed with
the wrecking ball of military outspending
they weren't fiscally fit
couldn't keep pace on the nuclear arms race treadmill
flew off the end
split into pieces
now fighting among themselves

now back in Boulder
a federal institution named NOAH
seeks to stave off any more apocalyptic
40 days and nights
God or nature may hurl against us

former comrades click photos for security clearance
to make sure no terrorists attack
the nation's weather men
turns out
chlorofluorocarbons
were the real enemy hiding behind mirrors
in our medicine cabinets


©polarpaul 2006