One minute to midnight
On The Nuclear Threat Clock
The world suddenly started
To reel with shock.
Nineteen hundred and sixty two,
Khrushchev shared,
Fidel Castro dared,
John F Kennedy declared,
And the world trembled
As two fleets assembled
On the Atlantic Ocean
Bound to converge.
With bated breath we waited
For a winner to emerge
As the world's two bullies
Played potentially lethal games
Seemingly a bit more serious than
Sabre rattling and calling names.
They strode the world,
Fought the odd proxy war
But this time it seemed
Just a little more.
And then all of a sudden
One backed down
One fleet sailed for home
As the other turned round.
The victor crowed as
The vanquished lost face
And they started off again
With their power race.
The school yard trembled
And then settled down
As each continued with
Another propaganda round.
The schoolyard bullies
Put their toys away
But readily available for
The next time they played.
On The Nuclear Threat Clock
They moved the hands back
Until the next time the world
Again feared a nuclear attack.
