In the Next Life, Canto I, stanzas 110-115

This logic in the olden days applied
in cold war situations like we had
when Communism was the other side,
and we thought they, and they thought we, were bad.

In those days we all feared that one mistake
when tensions were particularly high
would send us to a planetary bake,
the fortunate among us thence to die.

It wouldn’t have to be two supers, though,
for many nations still have what it takes.
One might contrive; another one might know;
one blinks too soon; another gets the shakes.

In fact, the situation at the nonce
is tense enough for such a thing to start.
To make a holocaust, all that it wants
is what they sent to tear J-1 apart.

To flesh this out some more, we shall assume
that each believes the other’s holding back
enough big nukes to cause the Each’s doom
if Other is the first one to attack.

They’re more than likely both to be correct,
and waiting ’til you’re stricken ere you strike
would yield the place of first one to connect.
Should you survive or someone you don’t like?

©2010 Louis A. Merrimac