Human Spirit in Oklahoma

Lethal force

As if we needed a reminder of mother nature's awesome power, she decided we needed a jolt anyway by letting loose one of the strongest tornadoes ever recorded through Moore, a suburb of Oklahoma City in America. At time of writing, 91 people have died, including many children. To touch on the dramatic, like a Great White shark sent by God Himself, it destroyed everything unfortunate enough to stand in its path.
Humans throughout the ages have been the architects and authors of some wonderful inventions and words of wisdom, however we are truly puny when struck against the infinite might of nature. Mortality has its (frail) limits. Luckily for us, we are strong in spirit and Dai Jakes is certain that with the help of the generous and kind, the good people of Moore, Oklahoma will be shown a helping hand in rebuilding lives and homes. Nothing will bring back those who perished of course, and they will be in everyones thoughts and prayers.
I like to think there is a lesson in every tragedy though and the photograph below sums up both the devastation and the humble reality of what occurred in Oklahoma last night. Written on that sign found among the rubble are the words: the most important things in life are not things. Food for thought indeed.


A sign of hope?

Gleision Colliery: A Poem

As prayers are being said all over Wales for the four miners who died at Gleision Colliery, I publish my poem again in their honour.

Dim Haul Dros Gleision (No Sun Over Gleision)

There was no sun that day
when four miners lights went out for good;
the cave mouth stretched into an endless hymn
as hawks and kinder birds carved the sky
to guide spirits to their rest.
Heroes of an unforgiving underworld,
the earthly tomb,
kingdom of the black.
While I and all of Wales tipped hands to God
four blinded roots were pulled
and the red dragon's one lifted claw
was raised a little higher in honour of the men.
Gartref bois! Home!
From the eyeless santuary of the pit
to the Valleys call,
our father's land
where you will have the symphony of a nation's hearts
to sing you to your rest,

A bydd yr haul ddim farw nawr...
(and the sun won't die now)

© Steven Francis poems 2011

Last Orders on Titanic

The captain makes sure

Dai Jakes finds it highly unlikely that the woman who claims she saw Captain Smith, drunk on the Titanic, before it sunk is telling the truth in her letter. If we're not mistaken she was in Second Class, however she says the good captain was drinking (allegedly) in the First Class saloon. No way she could have seen him in that case because the riff raff were very strictly segregated on ships in those times. With good reason too we hasten to add. Last thing you want is to be rubbing shoulders with some peasant hacking into a cheap hand rolled cigarette while you lunch on lobster.