On Warhol’s Atomic Bomb, by Cullen Whisenhunt

Atomic Bomb, by Andy Warhol (USA). 1965.

On Warhol’s Atomic Bomb

A 2013 study from the University of South Florida has found that psilocybin, the psychoactive component of magic mushrooms, is able to stimulate neurogenesis, which is the growth and repair of brain cells in the hippocampus…The implications of this study are that magic mushrooms…may also be a powerful treatment for PTSD and similar conditions.

Wesley Thoricatha, “Psilocybin Shown to Heal and Repair Brain Cells, May Be Promising New PTSD Treatment”  

First, the mushroom
defined as
the colour explodes
haunting, but not unpleasant
drawing what is
into what could've been
     A permanent positive
     A lasting image
     A piece of you, for you

Then the flip
you drop the first tab,
the second
drops like acid rain,
like fallout
drops the pretense
drops the definition
drops the reason
for the pride
drops

We drop lines, plead
“Please drop this, this
unwanted, unasked for, these
bodies dropped
off planes dropped
on plains, these plainclothes
dropped in plain day
dropped, just stop
it, drop it, please!”

This dream,
nay,
this nightmare, trips,
fades
into the background dark
and I try to drop off
to sleep.

​Cullen Whisenhunt

​Cullen Whisenhunt is a graduate student with Oklahoma City University’s Red Earth Creative Writing MFA program and an instructor of Developmental English at Murray State College in Tishomingo, Oklahoma. His work has been published in Red Earth Review, Dragon Poet Review, Manzano Mountain Review, Voices, Red River Review.