Silence

Ryan Nutick

On the eve of destruction
We all came to watch
A ravening curiosity
Sweep the world.

For the first time in our existence

We knew there would be
no tomorrow.
We knew there would be
no hope.

Yet looting still occurred
And petty squabbling.
Traffic on the freeway,
as congested as ever.

We grasped at old habits for comfort,
Even as we realized,
The report that had to be finished by five
was no longer required.

All those pressing bills could be ignored.
The check would remain forever
in the mail.

And, for a moment, rich and poor
stood as equals.
The world’s chatter persisted,
but it had changed.

We rejoiced over things never
to be done again
And regretted the things never
to be done at all.

On the eve of destruction,
We all came to watch,
And when the end came
At last, silence.