of Despairing, ganGreen Heart’s

L. B. Mek


Notice of absence from L. B. Mek
'fare ye well' kind friends

 

 

There’s a Green Heart icon, blazing

on a side of a Tower-block building

a vibrant Flag of Defiance, dipped

in Nature’s resilient colours, as a symbol 

of ‘Hope, Unity, Love

and Remembrance’...

 

Last year’s, annual Silent walk 

marked the 3rd year Anniversary 

of London’s: Grenfell, shame!

Due to UK’s Covid nightmare 

we had to attend - online

a surreal Virtual event

we assumed, would be - as bad

as things - could Retrograde; 

 

on May 7th 2021, some 31 days, away

from this year’s Grenfell memorial date

another Tower-block 

set London’s sky’s ablaze, once again

forcing 25 Fire Trucks 

and 125, brave Firefighters 

to endanger their lives and relieve

those traumatic Grenfell scenes, again...

 

All caused, by inhumane: Construction practices

with private companies Government Enabled

and subsidised, Encouraged into cutting

petty fiscal corners by Knowingly, utilising Faulty

building Cladding materials 

 

that’s right, multimillion contract’s

short-changed, in-to

human Death-traps, by bottom-line 

mandating, Mindsets

by number crunching, over Cladding...?!

 

72 Children, Parents and in some ghastly cases

Three or four generations, of a family: Murdered

in one single - abhorrent night

 

by that Multiplicative - festering Greed

of Capitalism’s

morally bankrupt – Ideal

 

and indefensibly - defunct 

Governmental disdain 

for those, most needy: in our Society.

 

Six days earlier, to 2021’s

ill-fated Friday’s

Poplar fire disaster, Parliament: Rejected

an amendment, to 2017’s Grenfell disaster - Pacifying

Fire Safety Bill, that has now shackled 

hundreds of those same Grenfell’s survivors

and Thousands of London’s citizens 

to foot the Bill

for Remedying fireproofing works

with individual costs ranging into Thousands of pounds! 

 

In 4 years

since Grenfell’s - shame

with residents, burdened - to Pay

for our Government proposed

Fire safety Bill changes;

Still:

barely, Fifty %

of London’s Tower-blocks

have had their Death-trap cladding

Rectified...

 

Meanwhile, a month earlier

in March 2021 while the UK media

was Conveniently: distractedly, ENRAGED!

At a talk show interview - performance 

consisting of inflammatory, one-sided

scripted statements, by part-time actress

and Fool-time: millionaire - Celeb;

 

our UK government, Brazenly announced

it was ending 30 year’s 

of Nuclear warhead - Gradual disarmament

and instead, confirmed it was utilising

Vital: Taxpayers funds, during a Global pandemic 

to order More: trident Warheads

and Add to its already substantial, Nuclear stockpile...

 

Tell me, how do we teach our children 

to hope: for better?

When we’re all walking around

with that Gangrene despair

of disillusionment and festering: distrust

 

feeling, that bleak hollowness

seeping-in

with every breath of politicised toxicity

we inhale 

and exhale: daily, while lamenting endlessly

 

forced, to rasp-out our choking

defiance 

while traversing that ever inclining, climb

to fight-on

in remembrance and quested Justice: for Grenfell’s

 

EverGreen legacy: for Change

to Stop

such Systemic abuses, targeting

the Most  

needy, in our Society…

 

 

© L. B. Mek

8th of May 2021

  • Author: L. B. Mek (Offline Offline)
  • Published: May 10th, 2021 03:42
  • Comment from author about the poem: https://www.grenfelltowermemorial.co.uk/ https://www.grenfellunited.org.uk/ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-57022678
  • Category: Unclassified
  • Views: 38
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Comments +

Comments7

  • dusk arising

    Are we associating the opposition of the rights of tower block residents to be compensated by at fault manufacturers with the right of UK residents to have the defense of 'mutual assured destruction' waved in the face of any foreign aggressor?
    Why so, when both are a necessity?

    • L. B. Mek

      lol, Yeah
      in a Landmass that's a blip, on any significant Map
      our Threat is what? mutual Assured destruction?
      'What your 50 can do in seconds
      my 200, Warheads will: Try - to, in Days'
      yeah I'm sure the rest of the world is Quaking...
      Just so sad, that's what you came away with
      from this Time consuming and lengthy read,
      what a waste of your precious Time, and for that
      I can only, pityingly: apologise...
      still, thanks all the same

      • dusk arising

        Thank you for your pitying apology, graciously accepted by this inhabitant of a 'blip on any significant map' but nonetheless such a significant blip that you chose to write a 'time consuming and lengthy' piece about our internal concerns. PMSL

      • Neville


        my word you amaze me sir how well you know your stuff ...

        I was horrified but sadly, not surprised by the reference to what was more than just a near miss on 7th May this year ... thankfully no one is believed to have suffered life changing injuries in the latest inferno ..
        although it is impossible to guess the agonies those who lost the roof over their heads and all their possessions .. is it even possible to adequately compensate them .......

        ... Neville

        • L. B. Mek

          yeah, thankfully indeed!
          I think only two people had to be hospitalised, which
          in comparison to Grenfell is nothing short of a minor miracle
          I'm guessing the Timing and preparedness
          of our brave Firefighters had a lot to do
          with the drastically reduced impact the actual fire had,
          as for the aftereffect travesty of living conditions
          and dealing with such a traumatic experience, who knows...
          Really, appreciate the caring tone and consideration
          in your comment my friend, thank you!

        • Jerry Reynolds

          Hard hitting article, L.B.

          • L. B. Mek

            yeah, sorry
            it is kinda lengthy and not very poetic
            much more opinion-piece article in style and tone, lol
            but sometimes I feel we gota speak about things
            in a more frank manner and that leaves little room
            for creative artistry to flourish, sadly..
            really glad you still managed to get something
            out of the read, Jerry
            thanks for the supportive comment

            • Jerry Reynolds

              I totally understand, L.B. I write those from time to time for local Papers. You may have to shape it for the editor's word count, but I am sure you can get that published. Just from the responses here. It's a really good piece.

            • PrEm Ji

              Someone told, Covid is the death-bell of Capitalism. Unfortunately, it is not!

              • L. B. Mek

                HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
                Ten billionaires - Alone!
                Have amassed some 400 Billion in 'Earnings'
                since the Pandemic started...
                that's that same numeric figure of 10 People, most lifts
                feel Cramped - trying to accommodate;
                in a global population of some 8 billion - people,
                We rarely understand just how Morosely: Real
                that 1% figure truly, is my friend...
                HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
                (thank you for your insightful comment, my fellow Humanist)

              • Trenz Pruca

                Strong poem. Thank you.

                • L. B. Mek

                  Impactful comment. thank: You!

                • Goldfinch60

                  I thoroughly agree with all your words Mek, it is absolutely despicable in the way the powers that are have treated this disaster and now it seems that they just do not care about the people who suffered and are suffering. Money certainly talks.

                  "Tell me, how do we teach our children to hope: for better?" - such a very true line in your words.

                  Andy

                  • L. B. Mek

                    yeah, it can get depressingly surreal if we let it fester
                    best to write or speak about our frustrations
                    be they mutually shared opinions or otherwise...
                    Try as 'they' may, to convince us otherwise
                    we Know, that ultimately
                    there is more: intentional Goodness
                    than Obliviously-ignorant, maliciousness
                    in this Beautiful planet
                    we get to Visit, for a little while...
                    really appreciate your impassioned and supportive comment
                    thank you, my friend

                  • Andy Hunter

                    Their is nothing so cold as a politicians heart. Their empty promises pacify the gullible whilst they continue to enjoy support from the very people who perpetrate these tragedies by placing profit before need.
                    Thanks for sharing this.

                    • L. B. Mek

                      If I could Favourite and bookmark comments, this: would be the first!
                      Thank you for your succinct, and insightful summation of the main point
                      that inspired my write, apart from the tragic human costs;
                      (at least with your comment
                      people now have access to the most critical point
                      my feeble words failed: to bring into focus and/or convey)

                      • Andy Hunter

                        Your poem was spot on!!!
                        Very powerful message and very well structured.
                        I love reading and writing poems that sends a message. I look forward to reading more of your work.



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