Disaster of Olgiate Olona by Bob Atkinson

Disaster of 

Olgiate Olona

(c)2011 Bob Atkinson

On a night, the twenty-sixth of June

nineteen hundred and fifty nine

all hell broke loose above a town

north west of old Milan

in the province of Varese

Italy's pure heartland

Olgiate Olona is a town of importance

to sixty-eight women and men

past the Busto station

beyond where it was flat

the Jetstream flew its last flight

exploding, then falling downward fast

there was no reason for this to happen

no normal quiet way

to fly a creature into the ground

smashing alloy into clay

the sky had been thunderous

lightning striking where it shouldn't

tearing apart aluminum skin

converting machine into 

pieces of pumice

spewing flames as though Mount Etna

had again thrown her fire and debris

the sleek machine of imagination

exploded all those dreams

no words can ever bring them back

no monument corrects

losses friends and relatives sustained

when machine was roughly wrecked

fifteen minutes into a climb

a bolt of lightning pierces metal

shattering hopes of sixty-eight

to have their lives extended

ripping structure of a wing apart

with massive explosive force

converting what had been so swift

into falling debris of metal and clothes

through the wind, a machine of legend

had conquered fast high flight

with methods of brute force and finesse

to move swiftly through the sky

so wild in the wind was all

the blown metal parts and pieces

and pretty dresses of pretty women

and men's suits with neat leg creases

seeing chaos where had stayed

an orderly progression

a routine take-off from Milan

in this stormy pre-summer season

first the wheels had lifted up

off the hard runway

into the windy stream

then retracted into bays

the pilot had been politely saluted

by the tower controller of Milan

have a good flight sir the man bid

as they raised the takeoff flaps

then vibration of the engines

felt good to the captain again

as they climbed into the stratosphere

guiding machine so fast and long

Paris was their destination

a city on the Seine

with streets of life so interesting

was always hard to go to bed

took not long to fly above

the first two mile high level

above the height where inside pressure

strengthened the aircraft's vessel

but pressure pushes on metal structures

and needless to say prevails

when lightning presses holes in skin

and explodes very large fuel cells

that night with surprise and wonder

in that storm of rain and thunder

Olgiate Olona was showered with

fire, metal and the desire of people

the desire to continue on
live life with those loved ones
who dream of old age years from now
not violence flying to Paris from Milan