even radioactivity decays
a permanent state of half-life
dissipating always toward zero
like a stagnant puddle of water
silently, diligently evaporating
back to dry dirt and exposed hole
•
they inspected these bodies for decades
the scientists themselves grew old and died
replaced by new ones always in protective gear
ninety-four bodies eradicated by the nuclear end
everyone had feared and predicted and caused
forcing humanity to study radiation’s plight
the race between radioactivity and fleshbloodbone
wound down to the end just as the math predicted
“Looks like we don’t need the suits anymore”
the first one holding the data said to the second one
but the second one reached out stopping the first one
beginning to disengage and remove the precious helmet
“Look at this” the second one said nodding his head
toward one of the piles of bones and pointing back
at the chart of numbers he tapped with a shaking hand
“He’s been dead since, well, you know, the end”
the first one said scanning the charts to look himself
“But we don’t know anything about this sort of thing”
“I suspect” said the second one “we’d better keep
the suits on for quite some time around this one”
and that was where science wasn’t sure what to do
•
etched in the bones beyond decay
flesh stripped by atomic blasts
and beneath all their calculations
radiating from him eternally
was something immeasurable
and weightier than plutonium:
his life without her had been his half-life
but he still loved her with all his heart
and what on earth could they do with that?
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