BIKINI ATOLL: GUINEA PIG OF NUCLEAR DETONATION
 

Demonstrations of a nuclear superiority
Are an on-going saga for the past fifty years –
And developed nations are at forefront,
While poorer nations are screaming in fears!
Still detonations are carried out secretly
On a regular basis, somewhere around the Earth –
And effects of radiations are taking the toll,
Especially among habitats since their birth!

From outskirts, Bikini Atoll in Marshall Islands
Appears to be a tropical paradise –
With rows of palm trees, swaying
On a pristine blue lagoon, hide the silent demise!
This island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean
Once thrived with its natural resource –
But now, Bikini Atoll is a scorched wasteland,
Created by the blast of nuclear force!
Back on March 1, 1954, during the Cold War,
It turned into ground zero –
And the native islanders seemed to eke out
An existence as a forgotten hero!
A nuclear blast, code-named Bravo,
Was conducted by the U.S. on Bikini Atoll –
Via detonation of a hydrogen bomb
That produced mushroom clouds to deter the soul!
Intense winds from the blast stripped the branches
And coconuts from the island trees –
While the fleet of ships were engulfed in explosion
And sank before spattering the grease!
Radioactive fallouts dispersed rapidly,
And the survivors still remember in horror –
About the emergence of long-term health effects,
Differing from their ancestor!

Cancer of the uterus and thyroid is too common
Across Marshallese in the island today –
And the processed foods are causing unwanted
Medical conditions to keep them at bay!
Diabetes, hypertension, and obesity are encroaching
Among the present population now –
While Bikinians who subsisted on fish and fruit
From island wonder about why and how?
Radioactive Cesium 137 contaminated their food chain
To destroy any survival hope –
And their homes now sit on top of wasteland,
Drenched with radiations they have to cope!

Bikinians today remain scattered
Throughout the Marshall Islands and around –
While poverty and scarcity of food
Are taking the toll and it can be easily found!
Tourists are not allowed to eat local vegetation
Because of the radiation fears –
And the Marshallese thrives on less than a dollar
A day even after fifty years!

Plights of these victims are horrendous,
And their reparation fights have not been easy –
‘Cause of widespread contaminations
And cleanups are keeping environmentalists busy!
Rebuilding of infrastructures, destroyed by the blast,
Is the crying need of the hour –
So the Marshallese and Bikinians are stretching
Their palms for subsidy from superpower!
The lagoon of death was created to demonstrate
Superiority through the nuclear test –
And the innocent victims are still paying
The price today, while no one likes to invest!
So I feel, the squalors from these hapless habitats
Should no longer fall into the deaf ears –
Instead time has come now to remedy the sufferings
From radiation and wipe their agonized tears!!

Today, on this 50th anniversary of Bravo blast,
Let Bikini Atoll be a reminder to pave the way –
And build the foundation of harmony with peace
For humanity-bridge that should never sway!

©Copyright March 1, 2004 by Hillol Ray
 

Author’s Note: At the conclusion of my invited presentation (February 28, 2004) at a private Poetry workshop in Auckland, New Zealand, my host family took me on a guided tour in the Marshall islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

During my short visit on March 1, 2004 (Monday – 50th Anniversary Day), Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands captured my heart, as well as the Bikinians. Through personal interviews with local residents about the history of their island life and environmental issues, I was deeply engrossed with emotions, specifically for the effect of radiation from the nuclear test, conducted on Bikini Atoll by the U.S. on March 1, 1954 (Monday). Code-named Bravo, a 15-megaton Hydrogen bomb was detonated that produced an intense fireball, followed by a 20-mile high mushroom cloud. The long-term effect of radiation is still felt by the Islanders even after fifty years.

To capture the moments of on-site observations and the highlights of personal conversations about Bikini Atoll, I scribbled my thoughts during the return flight to home in Garland, Texas, U.S.A. This poem in a nutshell depicts my heartfelt sympathy. To glimpse the beauty of Bikini Atoll and Marshall Islands, interested readers may visit: http://www.bikiniatoll.com