ABERFAN

ABERFAN

FOR MARGARET WHO REMEMBERED


WHEN GROWNUPS DIE

IT'S NOT SO BAD

ONE THINKS OF FLOWERS

READY TO BE PICKED

BUT CHILDREN

CHILDREN ARE ANOTHER THING

TO SEE THEIR TOMBSTONES

INA ROW

ON COMMON GRAVE

ALL STRUCK DOWN

SAME HOUR AND SAME PLACE

IN ABERFAN

SOME SO TOTALLY GONE

THERE IS NO ONE LEFT TO GRIEVE

BUT THE DISMAL AUTUMN RAIN

PALLING PROM OCTOBER SKY

ON THE LIFELESS HEAPS OP SLAG

HOW QUICKLY HAS THE GRASS CLAIMED THE GRAVE

AND AUTUMN LEAVES COME CLINGING TO THE STONES

UNTIL THE WIND BLOWS THEM AWAY

AS IF THEY WANTED TO KISS THE CHILD IN PASSING

HOW MANY POEMS UNBEGUN ARE BURIED HERE

HOW MUCH LAUGHTER, TEARS AND JOY

ROW MUCH SORROW IS ENTOMBED


THE CHILDREN COMING HOME FROM SCHOOL

SPLASHING THROUGH EACH PUDDLE FOUND

THE PARENTS BUNDLED AGAINST THE STORM

MAKE QUICK THE TRIP FROM WORK TO HOME

AND NO ONE REALLY SEEMS TO CARE

EXCEPT THE DISMAL AUTUMN RAIN

FALLING FROM OCTOBER SKY

ON THE LIFELESS HEAPS OF SLAG

FRANK A VOLLMER

ABERFAN
OCTOBER 1966
144 DEAD
SLAG HEAP FELL ON VILLAGE
HITTING SCHOOL AND HOMES