Duck & Cover

I recall being trained to duck under my school desk in the event of a nuclear attack, and to cover my head. We had quite a few practice drills at school, and we must have been quite little to so quickly fit under our desks, in frightened scrambles of bumped knees and elbows tucked tightly into ourselves, with hands laced over our still empty heads.

I am much older and bigger now, my head is arguably fuller, today of dark thoughts and considerations. Looking around I do not see much that I would fit under, or that would protect me from heavy, crushing force and rubble from above. So, let us all pray for the emotional stability and mental acuity of our leaders, to gods who have been deaf to Ukraine.

I recall being trained to duck under my school desk in the event of a nuclear attack.

by Annmarie Throckmorton, copyright 2023

We were all trained to duck under our desks in the event of nuclear war in the 1950.

screen capture, non-commercial use