Peace on a Hair Trigger

“When the Great War came, I was just an infant.
World War I was the stone, lad,
tossed into the waters of mankind,
and we’ve felt the ripples ever since.”

“What do you mean, Grandfather?”

“Well, people thought the new century would herald an era of peace--
but the Guns of August dashed those hopes in ’14.

They formed the League of Nations--to pick up the pieces.
I married your grandmother during the Great Depression;
on the heels of that came World War II.
Course we know how it ended, with Little Boy and Fat Man.

They replaced it--the League, I mean--with the United Nations.
Might have prevented a third world war but surely didn’t prevent the Cold War.
Ripples, son, disturbing the calm. See what I mean?”

“But, Grandfather, the Wall came down; the Cold War is over.”

“Hmm... a Damoclean Sword that hung above us for forty years... and it threatens us still.”

“But, look how far we’ve come: television, computers, the Net--
why, we’re a worldwide neighborhood now.”

“Yes, we can make contact within minutes.”

“Well... I think technology will solve our problems.
Our new century will be one of peace.”

“Ah, yes... peace...
Peace on a hair-trigger.”

© Melody Rhodes

Published in an anthology.