World War II
Fifty five million people were killed
at a cost per corpse of over
a quarter of a million dollars,
a third their weight in gold.
Which took a total firepower of three megatons.
Which is the energy
of a seven minute hurricane
or of one hour of the world's tides.
Who got a mention?
The history book names 117
or one in half a million.
The advantages
a rise in technology
massive development in agriculture.
Indeed, by the equivalence of matter and energy
the firepower condenses to the mass
of a small potato.
How much does this represent
of all the energy used in human history?
Compare an electric fire to an earthquake
or a full stop to a small dog.
The graveyard would cover an entire city.
The gold would fill
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