Friday 21 October 2016

REMEMBERING ABERFAN

REMEMBERING ABERFAN

Fifty years on
It’s still hard to imagine
The filthy black tar
Choking childish lungs

Fifty years on
It’s so hard to believe
The filthy black hearts
Behind corporate wrongs

Fifty years on
It’s hard to understand
How after such obscenity
A community could stay strong

Fifty years on
It’s hard to recollect
Crushing tragedy in Wales
That we must never forget

Martin A W Holmes, October 21, 2016


...and, if you do have the time, read this:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-150d11df-c541-44a9-9332-560a19828c47

Incidentally, I do struggle with the morality of making poetry (or whatever you want to call it) out of tragedy, especially a tragedy so brutal and raw as this one was. Despite knowing that some great art has come in response to disaster, it feels somehow like you might legitimately want to suggest that the creator might be polishing their own ego on the misfortunes of others. I hope that you don't think so. Sometimes I just respond to things that make me angry or upset (or both) in the only, visceral, gut-wrenching way that I feel able to, and quite regularly nowadays, that is by flinging a few hopefully reasonably well-chosen words out into the ether.

M

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