My parents

Lived

through the Cuban Missile Crisis

and breathed their desire

for a

Nuclear free world

down to me.

I lived,

as did my friends

and teenage crushes

through the spectre

of the

war of words

and sabre rattling

by America

and Russia

until a decent man called Gorbachev

took a step back from the brink..

I

Lived through 80s insanity.

I worry now

that my sons

who would not hurt a fly

are now facing

the prospect

of not breathing

past

World War Three

at the third attempt.

Ian D. Hall 2016