ABERFAN
In schooled rows, white and black
On a steep and sober hill
Above the valley of the Taff
Lie the memories cold and still
From a generation back
The children of the colliery clan
Who died while still in class
Were buried in a landslide
That took their school, Pant Glas
In the town of Aberfan.
Alone on that green hillside
A woman, unreconciled
Shines a marble headstone
As she speaks to her lost child
With tears still hard to hide.
It’s a quarter of a century
Since the black slag took its toll
The miners’ jobs are finished
Now they dig no more for coal
It’s a double tragedy.
But the people to a man
Still keep their hearts full strong
And hide their inner sadness
With voices filled with song
In the town of Aberfan.
17/9/95
Mandurah WA
I always remember the pictures in the Daily Mirror in 1966 when this tragedy happened.
I visited Aberfan in ’93 and spoke to the lady in this poem.
CHAMPION SHEILA
So I chatted up this Sheila
Thinking, boy, I’d like to feel ya
Sort of sittin’ warm and cosy next to me
Then a smile came on her face
She said, I know where there’s a place
Where we can get a nice hot cup of tea
Then p’rhaps you’d like to dabble
In a quiet game of Scrabble
I’ve got a lovely set, and what is more
I’d love to play the game with you
And, if you would like me to
I’ll tell you what, I’ll even let you score.
Well, the tea was quite OK
And when we settled down to play
She hit me with a seven-letter make
Now I’m not one of those chaps
Who think girls’ heads are full of gaps
But a seven-letter start is hard to take
She’d got HASHISH right away,
Using a blank, I have to say,
But still she started off with 80 scored.
I countered then with SNORTING
Which I thought was rather sporting;
We had a couple of junkies at the board
When she sneaked a triple, GIN
There was NO way I could get in,
So I threw my rack and had another pick.
Then she really burst my bubble
And got a double, TROUBLE
By this time I was feeling rather sick.
I was prepared to let her win.
Well, that wouldn’t be a sin.
It’s nice to be a sport once in a while,
But this girl was too darned clever
And despite my best endeavour
She had me truly beaten by a mile
Then she said, It’s time for bed
And the blood rushed to my head
Perhaps I’d get a ’word’ in after all.
But I near fell through the floor
As she showed me out, I saw
Her Scrabble champion’s shield upon the wall.
She said, Thanks for coming round,
And the next time you’re in town
Call in, we’ll play another game.
Well, of that she can be sure
And I’ll even up the score.
You can bet your boots
The game won’t be the same
’Cause I’ll give it all I’ve got
Just to take the winner’s pot,
And then she’ll never play again, methinks.
I’ll show her my prowess,
But I wonder if she’ll guess
That I’m the nation’s best
At tiddly-winks.
(c)Dave Bowen
24/4/96
