The Wednesday Poem #47 - Grenfell Remembered

Last night, I had a dream.

I was on the stairs, engulfed in smoke,

I was scared confused and starting to choke,

Which way is up, which way is down?,

I only want to reach the ground.

Last night, I woke in a sweat.

I thought about what I'd just seen, 

I thanked the Lord it was just a dream,

What was the Good Lord telling me?

Justice for Grenfell, Solidarity!

Copyright 2018 Roger Tichborne

 

Tomorrow is the first anniversary of the tragic disaster that was the Grenfell Tower fire. There is nothing I can do, except offer my thoughts and prayers for all of those who perished in the terrible fire.

I had a terrible dream, maybe because I was reading about it before I fell asleep. Maybe because the Good Lord wanted to just remind me of the terror those endured. It is clear that the residents were criminally failed. I have two hopes for the inquiry, the first is that this tragedy results in new laws that ensure this can never happen again. The second is that those who have lost people, those that are still suffering and those that have been scarred get justice and those responsible are held to account properly, sending a message to those who may make such terrible decisions in future.

After a string of disasters on our railways, Ralitrack was abolished and a new safety regime was brought in. We've now had ten years of no fatal accidents on the UK's railways. Safety is not a nice to have, it should be a first principle. Putting hundreds of people in a tall building and then covering it with highly flammable material is so self evidently dangerous that I do not see why there have not already been arrests and charges.

We all have our own beliefs. We all have our own ways of mourning.  Tomorrow there are marches all around the country -

One Year On: Solidarity Marches Nationwide – Justice4Grenfell

Please join one if you can. I have felt very disturbed all day. The poem printed above appeared in my head fully formed this morning, I take no credit for writing it, I hope that whoever put it there has found some peace. If I knew who it was I'd give them the credit.