Dear Mr Oppenheimer by Antony Owen

Dear Mr Oppenheimer

Beneath your crafted nebula  

I picture your dead noon walk 

casting a long shadow eastward. 

 

In the post atomic abendrot 

you brush off Alamogordo sand 

like glitter from a forbidden kiss. 

 

Dear Mr Oppenheimer, 

sky is badged in yellow stars, 

magenta stars, violet dust. 

 

Dear Mr Oppenheimer, 

this night your star was born 

sunset bled over Hiroshima. 

 

At the IMAX film of your life 

a man scoffs bulb warm Dorito’s 

sharing his awe on TikTok –  

the new age Brittanica. 

By Antony Owen

For Teaching resources around early atomic scientists see these lessons from Quakers in Britain and the Peace education network.