Late Night B Movie
Colossus in a tub with model ships,
the lizard-suited actor runs amok.
Waves sweep plastic soldiers off the dock
as subtitles outpace staccato lips
of jut-jawed admirals wearing rented suits
who cover ears in pantomimes of noise
to prove the tanks and missiles aren’t toys,
while teenaged extras counterfeit salutes.
In the darkness, I remember when
each thing from Monster Island had a name.
The screen light flicker imitates a flame:
Tokyo the phoenix burns again.
by Ed Shacklee
Editor’s Note: I confess, I adore action flicks of all kinds. This sonnet spoke to me of flickering black and white screens and plastic terror.
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