Nostradamus
Benjamin Cissnern
o s
t r a
d a m
u s
nostradamus
on tv 1980
predicting 1986
THE END OF THE WORLD
age five or six
til age twelve
this fear recurred
irrational intermittent
uncertain untrustworthy
our world was contained
death not yet real
learning to call
by quickly tapping
out each number
on a broken rotary
disconnect button
a rapid ten clicks
for zero the operator
sterling my sisters and i
built traps made potions
to catch fictional nemeses
mostly lifted from
hollywood blockbusters
cold war propaganda
we were spies
taking turns folding
each other inside
the attic sofa bed
asthmatic claustrophobic
preparing for disaster
kidnapping war
carving weapons
from sticks to hide
around the house
1984 panic attack
no mention of jet packs
before the first untethered space walk
aged nine terrified hysterical
believing those poor astronauts
abandoned left to drift
off into outer space
two years later
THE END OF THE WORLD
for seven doomed astronauts
exploding live
on tv 1986
is death now real
we were unprepared
asthmatic panicking
nostradamus and
nuclear fears
i n s t a n t a n e o u s l y
eclipsed by
faulty oversight and
defective o rings
o s
t r a
d a m
u s
nostradamus
on tv 1980
predicting 1986
THE END OF THE WORLD
age five or six
til age twelve
this fear recurred
irrational intermittent
uncertain untrustworthy
our world was contained
death not yet real
learning to call
by quickly tapping
out each number
on a broken rotary
disconnect button
a rapid ten clicks
for zero the operator
sterling my sisters and i
built traps made potions
to catch fictional nemeses
mostly lifted from
hollywood blockbusters
cold war propaganda
we were spies
taking turns folding
each other inside
the attic sofa bed
asthmatic claustrophobic
preparing for disaster
kidnapping war
carving weapons
from sticks to hide
around the house
1984 panic attack
no mention of jet packs
before the first untethered space walk
aged nine terrified hysterical
believing those poor astronauts
abandoned left to drift
off into outer space
two years later
THE END OF THE WORLD
for seven doomed astronauts
exploding live
on tv 1986
is death now real
we were unprepared
asthmatic panicking
nostradamus and
nuclear fears
i n s t a n t a n e o u s l y
eclipsed by
faulty oversight and
defective o rings
Wet Brain
Benjamin Cissnerw b
r
e a
i
t n
no
no no
no its ok
im not crazy
i mean ok i am
crazy but not
that kind of
c r a z y
like
i
dont
h e a r
v o i c e s
well i do
but i know
theyre mine
because
yeah
i
guess im
suspicious of
w a t e r w a t e r
everywhere how it
touches everything
entropy oxidation
decay all hastened
humidity mildew
h e i r l o o m s
h o m e s
ruined cities
d e c i m a t e d
downpour flood
ice melting and
refreezing and
foundations
cracked
s h o o t
you know
pretty soon
miami and
new orleans
will join
atlantis
or mu
sub merged
as the ross
ice shelf breaks
off more sea risers
the size of a
d e l a w a r e
o r three o r
even a
m a i n e
and
i
know
we are
all seventy
o r ninety
p e r c e n t
w a t e r
o r
whatever
and maybe
thats why im
suspicious
because
no one
c a r t i n g
that much
liquid around
could ever
b e s o l i d
h a h
j u s t
t h r e e
a t o m s
a n d t h e t r u t h
m a n b u t o h
y e a h s o r r y
i m g o o d o n r e f i l l s
j u s t t h e c h e c k p l e a s e
r
e a
i
t n
no
no no
no its ok
im not crazy
i mean ok i am
crazy but not
that kind of
c r a z y
like
i
dont
h e a r
v o i c e s
well i do
but i know
theyre mine
because
yeah
i
guess im
suspicious of
w a t e r w a t e r
everywhere how it
touches everything
entropy oxidation
decay all hastened
humidity mildew
h e i r l o o m s
h o m e s
ruined cities
d e c i m a t e d
downpour flood
ice melting and
refreezing and
foundations
cracked
s h o o t
you know
pretty soon
miami and
new orleans
will join
atlantis
or mu
sub merged
as the ross
ice shelf breaks
off more sea risers
the size of a
d e l a w a r e
o r three o r
even a
m a i n e
and
i
know
we are
all seventy
o r ninety
p e r c e n t
w a t e r
o r
whatever
and maybe
thats why im
suspicious
because
no one
c a r t i n g
that much
liquid around
could ever
b e s o l i d
h a h
j u s t
t h r e e
a t o m s
a n d t h e t r u t h
m a n b u t o h
y e a h s o r r y
i m g o o d o n r e f i l l s
j u s t t h e c h e c k p l e a s e