Deep in their underground shelter Three people sit in the dark. Remembering how when they were children The world was lit by a spark. They were placed in underground shelters By parents who did not survive. They were packed into underground shelters Like bees packed into a hive. Tom had wanted to be a farmer But the earth was bare as a stone Bill had wanted to be a hermit But found no place to be alone
Susan had wanted to travel But the earth was covered in flame
So they sat in their underground shelter Wondering who was to blame.
Now deep in their underground shelter Three old people sit in the dark. Recalling stories of the fire-flood And of the fire-proof Ark.
Deep in their underground shelter. Safe from poison and from flames, They shape coffins out of the cradles Upon which were written their names.
Brian Patten (born 7 February 1946) is an English poet and author. He came to prominence in the 1960s as one of the Liverpool poets and writes primarily lyrical poetry about human relationships. Patten's first published volumes of poems were Little Johnny's Confession (1967) and Notes to the Hurrying Man (1969). The later collections Storm Damage (1988) and Armada (1996) are more varied, the latter featuring a sequence of poems concerning the death of his mother and memories of his childhood. Armada is perhaps Patten's most mature and formal book, dispensing with much of the playfulness of former work. He has also written a comic verse for children, notably Gargling With Jelly and Thawing Frozen Frogs.