The Station Fire Poem by Chuck Audette
The Station Fire
late, on the way home
I saw the engines
the rescues and police
and wondered why
the Station Nightclub last night
a rock concert
with pyrotechnics naturally
all caught on video
as the walls and ceilings flamed
and an orderly exit
becomes desperate under the unreal advance of the flames
suddenly a panicked crush to escape
the darkening interior of hell
the heat and toxic smoke
I can't imagine
the helpless entrapment amongst tightly-packed bodies
immobile and hurt
feeling the flames coming closer
like a hungry demonic beast
dripping saliva of burning plastic
coming to devour its prey
screams of those being taken
hoping to be unconscious
to block out this nightmare
and when it came for me
to already be in a cool place
(Written Feb 21,2003 the day after the Station Nightclub Fire in Rhode Island which killed 100 people. Submitted Feb.20,2006
http: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Station_nightclub_fire for more info)
May we remember them always.
Chuck, I followed that story closely! I was not ever in THAT place , but I knew the situation, Damned scary stuff! All that you can do now, is to change things - - - in the hopes that it can not ever happen again! That's not much! ... But, it's what you have! Do what you can with that! I am sure that you know how it goes: ' Fool me once, shame on you! ' - - - ' Fool me twice, ........... ' ! B.V.A.
I remember this story. The whole nation was horrified by it. Something about a night of fun turned into a night of clawing desperation. Good work, Charles.
Oh, how horrific and tragic! This is all I can say. Sorrowfully, Gina.
Chuck, the descriptive detail is so vivid, I feel extremely uncomfortable as the reading goes on... I am 'there'. The last line: death, I think? (The 'me' being someone there?) ... A perfect, moving memorium. 10 to you.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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4/16/2024 7:49:00 AM # 1.0.0.1119
I googled " the station fire poetry" , not sure what, if anything, would come up. chuck, you " caught this" in the best way possible for someone not directly involved on this horrible night. you have strong imagery here. I think it would have been great for someone to get people together, survivors, families, to put together a collective of poems into a chapbook.