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Thursday, August 06, 2015

RUSTING TOYS

by Gil Hoy



Shin’s Tricycle. Exposed at: Higashi-hakushima-cho, 1,500 meters from the hypocenter. Donated to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum by Nobuo Tetsutani. Shinichi Tetsutani (then 3 years and 11 months) loved to ride this tricycle. . . . This tricycle was donated to the Peace Memorial Museum. Image source: Hiroshima Peace Site. See also "A tricycle, a toddler and an atomic bomb" —CNN, August 6, 2015


Shinichi was buried
with his favorite Red Tricycle
and best friend, Kimi

Who lived down the street.
Their trusting toddler fingers

Intertwined in a back yard
Grave, after

Brilliant flash, Waves of
Whipping oven fire, Mothers
Screaming at rivers of
dead children.

Oh, to see Shin
Riding his tricycle again.


Gil Hoy is a Boston trial lawyer, who first studied poetry at Boston University while receiving a B.A. in Philosophy and Political Science. Gil started writing his own poetry last year. Since then, his poems have been published most recently in The Potomac, The New Verse News, The Antarctica Journal, Third Wednesday, and To Hold A Moment Still, Harbinger Asylum’s 2014 Holidays Anthology.