FLIXBOROUGH (74) (BLAST FROM THE PAST)
(For Eddie)

We heard the bang thirty miles away.
But it’s significance was lost
Amongst the uniform routine
Of a sunny afternoon.
Two hours later we were there
Gazing impotently at the
Mushroom cloud that blossomed
Angrily over the featureless landscape
And from the brow of the hill
We saw the convoy
Fire engine following fire engine
Gushing urgently through the
Arterial roads to the heart
Of the disaster.

We couldn’t do a thing
Just stand at the perimeter fence
And watch as explosion followed explosion
Rocking the tranquility of
The sunny July afternoon.
While overhead a skylark sang

After a few hours we retired
To the headquarters bar
The mood was sombre initially
But brightened as the hours wore on
And “time” passed into “Overtime”

The bus ride home was jovial
We proceeded in an Easterly direction
Singing drunken rugby songs
And stopping twice to urinate
By the roadside.

It was several days before we
Recovered the bodies

I think there 27 in all
Some Huddled together by the door..
Black and hard
Like Charcoal.
A good friend was amongst them

I didn’t do a lot at Flixborough
Just sat a lot and watched a lot..
And talked a lot and drank a lot
And proceeded home in an easterly
Direction urinating at the roadside.

In retrospect I learnt a lot at Flixborough
But I was younger then.