Great Fire Of London Poem by Colin Ian Jeffery

Spark from baker's oven
Set ablaze with hellish fury
Timbers dry from sweltering summer
House after house bursting into flame.

Human chains with water buckets
Passed from hand to hand
No hope of quenching questing flames
Engulfing houses and streets.

Panic near to madness
Screams of terror, billowing smoke
People fleeing before the flames
Seeking sanctuary in the river.

Enraged mobs roaming the city
Seeking victims to blame
Hunting down Dutch and Catholics
Hanging them from shop signs.

James, Duke of York, the king's brother
Went into the streets with soldiers
Rescuing Catholics from mobs
Putting them in the Tower for protection.

Diarist Samuel Pepys watched
From across the river before fleeing
After burying in his garden
His costly Italian Missoula cheese.

King Charles took command
Ordering the mayor to blow up houses
Fire breaks trapping fire's wild rush
Finally bringing hell's flames to heel.

London in smoking ashes
Most buildings gone forever
Save the Tower, St Paul's and West Minister
Standing among the misery and despair.

Out of the ashes grew a new London
Free of slums and pestilence
Buildings and churches giving hope
With faith in the greatness yet to come.