Nyki Blatchley

1999

HIROSHIMA IS MY ELDER BROTHER
we were born in grey dust-dead shadows
undertear-shaped tepid raindrops
that fell
fell
fell into the eyes and onto the tongue
we followed its unsteady lurching course into the darkness
imitated its tight-crotched streetwise poses
saw asthmatic light glint on the knives and the guns
and it showed us how to batter an old man and steal his few pounds
and it showed us how to take a car and crash it and watch it blaze
and it showed us how to spend our nights going up into heaven
our days coming down
into hell
and it showed us how to rape a little girl and enjoy her screams
and it showed us how to murder and kill and kill and murder
and stalk the streets the way that power stalks its vanished streets
killing and murdering the million children without a name
and the million-and-first that has a name but never
never
never will use it
for fear of the burning dust and blowing heat
that gets deep down the throat and into the eyes and under the skin
Hiroshima
Oh Hiroshima
has left us in the hands of those
whose minds are burnt away through untouched faces
whose dreams are grey and white and black and grey
who take no care of their bodies
who exhale clouds that cry the face away
who fear an enemy that has never been seen
poisoner that doctors all my drinks
dolorous stroke laying the land waste
foul breath through the leaded air
flash of wrath from the evil eye of God
murder lodged in the guts of harmless killers
face that has my eyes
your mouth
scars from everywhere

who killed
who killed
who killed
Hiroshima
you you and you
all of you
with your uncaring power and your unending wars
you left it for dead
and us lost and grieving beside it
you with your ammonia smile
you with your cyanide charm
I lay a curse on you for all time
for all time
may the road never rise to meet you
may the wind never blow at your back
may the sun never shine in your face
and may the green earth for ever and ever reject you
as you have rejected the green earth
and may your maggot laughter one day blow up in your face
leaving your fractured features like an outline in the dust at the roadside
smeared on the stone
for the death you have dealt
and are dealing still
who killed
who killed
who killed
Hiroshima
you you and
me
I stood among you that day
an assassin like the rest
as we gathered in a plotting of fratricidal fury
and did our brother to death
but he arose again to follow us
and he follows us still
in our nightmares and in the light of day
across the wasted land
through the stink of dead air
into the night-time traitor alleys
that now and forever
are my brothers
domain

Nyki Blatchley