BEFORE

A trip to the museum
So many things to see
“What’s that Daddy? She asked
“Why Sweetheart that’s a tree”
I’ve never seen one of those
Daddy what’s it for?”
His words caught in his throat
realizing she wasn’t born “Before”
Before mountains were leveled
and seas were vaporized
Before death and destruction
rained down from the skies
Before trees and flowers
were just things of the past
Before radiation burns and
no more velvet green grass

“Why, Baby, the Earth once
was full of trees, some so tall
much bigger than these
and on their spreading branches
grew bright flowers, sweet fruit
and soft shiny green leaves
before the world was nuked”
“Daddy, what are flowers?
I’ve never seen one of them”
A tear escaped his eye and
his face grew sad and grim
“Flowers once filled the air
with fragrance and beauty
until the rulers of the Earth
felt it was their solemn duty
to kill and ravage with cruel war
every precious living thing that
brought mankind beauty and joy”

“Oh Daddy are you telling a fairy tale?
did people really used to
drink clean cool water from a well?
and did they walk around
without wearing a gas mask
and have homes above ground
with windows made of glass?”
Yes, Baby, it’s true , but not anymore
Things were so different
in the olden times ‘Before‘”
“Daddy do you think there’s a chance
it will be beautiful once again?”
“No, Sweetheart, Earth’s beauty
was destroyed forever by greedy
hate-filled, violent men”

Daddy would a tree live and grow
at home If we planted one?”
“Sorry, Sweetheart, there’s no way
clouds now thickly cover the sun
and the soil is barren now
no longer will life grow
through it’s blackened surface
from the poisoned depths below”
“Daddy are you glad that you recall
when the fragrant flowers bloomed
and the trees grew up so tall?”
“Would be better My Sweet
never before to have known
Earth’s desecration, paradise lost
and the death of home”

“Daddy, can you tell me
why they fought that awful war?
Was it to feed the poor hungry people
who were starving ‘Before‘?”
“No it was because of hate and
misplaced fanatic religious zeal
Some thought they were instruments of God
and had a right to terrorize and kill
Retribution was then demanded
Peace would not be bought
Seemed the only solution
was for another war to be fought
Reason was laid to rest upon the shelf
Power and politics entered the arena
as well as lust for oil and wealth”

“Daddy can you tell me
since you were here ‘Before’
did the leaders get what they wanted
and who really won the war?”
“The Earth was left in ruins
Too late to count the great cost
Each thought that they would win
but everybody lost
Millions were dead and dying
others left as walking dead
Pictures and impressions that
live forever in your head
There was no more beauty and
no more use for oil and wealth
Mankind fought the war
but the only victor was death”