Poem - Echoes of the Atomic Age

By: J.D. Ryder

Title: "Echoes of the Atomic Age"

In the shadow of mushroom clouds, we stood,

Atomic Veterans, downwinders, observers, and clean-up crew.

Unknowing sacrifices, lives forever changed,

By the unleashed power of the atomic age.

We witnessed the abyss, the paradox of peace,

Deterrence is sought through destructive means.

Fallout rained upon our bodies and our lands,

Invisible plunder, a legacy of nuclear hands.

Stigmatized and marginalized, we faced the depths,

Of hate, resentment, and society's neglect.

Excluded and divided, we bore the scars,

Of a nation's secrets and unspoken wars.

Our souls are fractured, consumed by fear,

The abyss's symphony of indifference and chance.

Haunted by the awesome power we beheld,

And the lingering effects that time would tell.

Yet in the darkness, a glimmer of hope,

A call for unity, to help us cope.

To recognize our shared humanity's plight,

And fight for justice, to make things right.

Let our stories be told, our sacrifices known,

For Atomic Veterans, downwinders, and those who atoned.

May empathy and understanding pave the way,

To heal the wounds of the atomic age's decay.

In remembrance, we honor the unsung,

Heroes of a nuclear era, whose praises should be sung.

Together, we can bridge the divisions of the past,

And build a future where peace and unity last.

Author: J.D. Ryder