Timeline July 2005

In Memory of those that died on July 7th 2005

I, in no way, feel I have done justice to those that perished in writing this.
But let us not forget.

Russell Square: 26 lost their lives.
Tavistock Square: 13 lost their lives.
Aldgate: 7 lost their lives
Edgware Road: 6 lost their lives

700 people were injured.

A family member of mine is a fire fighter.
He arrived on duty at 9:00am. Within five minutes he was called to Aldgate station.
The images will haunt him for the rest of his life.

8:50am
It began, not even confusion,
Just a simple plan, mishap
Fuse short, power surge,
Something like that,
“Christ, what’s that?”
Aldgate, a flicker between,
Little spark beneath to
Liverpool Street,
“Better notify the boss,
Can’t sodding have this!”

8:50am
Another blast, how long did it last?
Split second, hurtling between stations
In dark cobwebs rats running,
Scurrying under tracks,
Another surge of power
In morning rush hour.

8:50am
“Edgware Road?
You are joking!”
Puzzled grid perplexed
Signals in chaos
Bells of alarm, clanging,
Boss starts sweating.

9:28am
“Relax! Take it easy!
Nothing to worry about!
Just a bloody power surge!
Get a cuppa, or three,
This mess could take hours!”

9:33am
Silent whispers, murmurs
Rumours, filtering above
To demanding land,
Mobiles shrill in din
Of mobbing, surging
Rush hour crowd
Trying to buy tickets,
Reach for mobile,
Listen carefully.
It’s fucking hell below.

9:46am
Ricochet, torn, ripped
Right through our land born,
Power surge a simple wish,
We’re no longer cocooned
In safe old London Town,
Kings Cross, Old Street,
Russell Square and Moorgate,
Screaming in surreal alarm.
Confused masses heaving
To escape underground,
Bleeding, shoes without feet,
Perfected mascara runs in streaks,
Embedded memories, life time curse,
Was that a limb lying across her skirt?

9:47am
She sat, closed her eyes
Saw him at her side, smiled
For what a night! What a grand life!
Thoughts inside her pretty mind,
Before she was blown from
Top deck of a 30 bus, her limbs
Scattered to four corners of earth.
Upon the walls of white lay silenced
Blood, streets strewn with limbs
That had once been so loved.
Carnage of stilled cold life,
Newspapers floating, colour of clothes
Scarred patterned pavements,
Not paved with gold, just sorrow.
He walked among the dead, thinking
“I’m going to be late for work”
His shirt missing from his back,
As he searched for his briefcase,
Slowly crumpled in faint, into mingled
Bloodshed, no rain to wash away
Slaughter of innocents, empire of emotions.

9:49am
“SHUT THE FUCKING SYSTEM DOWN”
Screamed the boss.
“SHUT IT DOWN NOW!”
All lights ceased on grid,
Ruthless punishment of man
Caused the world to stop. To cease.

10:40am
Calling of the dead.
Roll call please,
“I believe so far 20”
As she stumbled,
All thoughts conveyed in
Reporters’ wet, blue eyes,
This day, no sunny smile
No preening,
Just counting of lives.

11:08am
Buses stopped,
“EVERYONE OFF NOW”
Passengers helped old, infirm,
Wondering what the hell was going on,
Stacks, rows of red buses all over town
Shut down engines,
Grumbling in steady frown,
People walked miles, what else to do?
Screams of sirens, blazing lights,
Sped like haunted flocking demons,
Most oblivious to the horrendous fact,
London was under attack.

11:10am
Told not to travel, stay at home,
Be calm…..CALM?
News drives message home,
Stay off your phones, don’t call
All locked down now. Can't get through.
Panic ensures, lines are jammed
Terror, pressing relentlessly on buttons
Desperate, is your loved one there or gone?

I walked from work that day.
My children called from school
Screaming.
“Mummy, are you safe?”
Children in background sobbing
For absent parents, siblings
Who had travelled to work that day.

Crying, I carried on through the streets.
Dead, not a soul disturbed pattern of trails
I needed to find my way home.
Sun shone, trees sang in breeze, birds chirped
Life still went on.
But the world was forever changed.
A simple trip to work,
But you might wind up dead?
It hurt. No where on earth seemed safe.

London mourned many that day,
Pulled in united, old, young,
Rich, poor gathered others in arms,
For the atrocity they bore, silenced by grief
Images best left unseen,
Shadows of ghosts,
Pictures of missing,
Dead, we carried in our heads,
Thanking God, we had been blessed, escaped.
But, never really free of tears that fell.

Freedom lies within the heart of this city
In the unity of every man, woman and child,
Strength of the people never wavered,
Stumbled or faltered, but for a moment,
Bound in love and dignity for our city.

I believe sweet justice will prevail,
As I watch drifting clouds, aware behind
Up in deep, forgiving blue sky,
God will serve the final timeline
On us all.