Ashes To Ashes

Standing silent,stark and black Its eyeless sockets staring emptily Over the London skyline The fiery tomb of so many Devastated,distraught and dead Homes that became Hell Flames roaring hungrily upwards To devour figures silhouetted at windows Their outlines sharply etched In the minds of helpless onlookers Their screams to re-echo in their tortured nightmares While the billowing black smoke choked Those who heeded the fatal advice To stay indoors. Tongues of flame licked greedily at the doors Seeking whom they would devour Sirens wailed as did escapees and onlookers In grief and frustration Battling against the searing heat Selflessly entering this torch of a tower To drag to safety those they could Putting their own lives on the line The firemen battled on Until they could do no more And now the shell is silent as the tomb The inferno sated and finally suppressed Anger now flares up to identify Those who left the community Defenceless Against this avoidable tragedy It was inevitable that the building's shortcomings Would claim its quota of victims To the shame of those who should Have known better and were forewarned.