Brink Poem by guy lipmore

August twenty-eight, nineteen sixty two,
Arial recon' photo's taken by a ‘U2'.
More intelligence was learned,
Analysis further confirmed.
Russians well in to preparation,
Americans weigh up every option.
Military options of invasion or air strikes,
Against the Cuban missile sites.
Plane shot down after further reconnaissance,
Upping the anti and suspense.

Thirteen days of brinkmanship,
Fears of missiles ‘going' ballistic.
Castro, his war rhetoic,
All pointing to conflict.
World was on a precipice,
With the Cuban crisis.

President's speech, World he did address,
Calling ‘their' bluff, talking about the seriousness.
Meetings, joint chiefs of staff,
The ‘war hawks' wanting to ply their craft.
Kennedy decided for a blockade,
Rather than strikes or invade.
More equipment on the way,
The navy would keep at bay.
Game of ‘hide ‘n' seek', on and below surface,
For the worse, both sides, they brace.
Tension ratching up and up,
Fear from the ordinary and top.

Meanwhile, frantic diplomacy,
Khrushchev and Kennedy.
The ‘hot' line, Moscow and Washington.
Trying to negotiate the situation.
Tension mounted and further grew,
Military readiness put on ‘defcon' two.
The constant threat and fear,
Of the situation turning nuclear.

A ‘way' or trade off was negotiated,
The compromise was never stated.
That was the Turkish and Italian sites,
End of a dozen or so sleepless nights.
Pulled back from the abyss, the brink,
It made the politicians and World think!

17/05/14