Tepco Trying To Fix Cracks In Their Nuclear Reactor Poem by Terence George Craddock (Spectral Images and Images Of Light)

Tepco reported “high levels of radioactive substances
in water that leaked from a hole near the reactor
leading to the sea” tepco tokyo electric power co
nuclear power plant in Japan multi radioactive breaches

advancing half a league, half a league, half a league
onward, all into the Pacific Ocean sweeps
nuclear radiation, but now we have permission to
pump 10,000 tons of problem only oh so slightly
radioactive water slightly radioactive water

hardly inspiring with detailed scientific accuracy
oh must be all okay then a little arsenic with your tea
how about a nice invigorating swim why dismayed
not tho’ the public knew scientists had blundered
public not to make reply public not to reason why

Tepco said it had detected cracks in an 8-inch hole
of concrete that holds power cables close to reactor
unit 2 the one serving up nuclear stew for me for you
Tepco is trying to fix the hole in their nuclear reactor

this might explain repeated high levels of radioactivity
found in offshore sea water but then again it might not
it might be coming from oh any of many plant cracks
using coloured dyes we try to track leak radioactivity

first we pour in concrete to plug the hole but no
concrete will not dry in all that accumulated water
next we try paper mashe not paste water powder
we resort to using newspaper and sawdust as we try

to block pipes using a polymer mixed shredded paper
and sawdust to try to close off pipes through which
water has flowed into a cracked Fukushima concrete pit
at the Daiichi plant from where it has run into the sea

yes pouring polymeric powder, sawdust, newspaper
anything things they could think of to clog up holes
heroic efforts made by nuclear safety agency experts
brains clogging up holes while all the world wonder’d

risking their lives nuclear workers theirs but to do or die
contaminated seawater shows illegal radiation levels at
4,000 times the legal level with no difference in amount
of water running out after they poured cement into the pit

Tepco needs to take steps to stop leaks once and for all
is stating the obvious at beleaguered nuclear power plant
battles with a radioactive water leak into the Pacific but
one regional problem in expected season of mega quakes


Copyright © Terence George Craddock
Source line adaptations from ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ by Alfred Lord Tennyson might suggest certain symbolic comparisons for those in the know.