The nexus of a reason why
Six minutes in a flash
They say that rock will never die
Dust to dust and ash to ash
We waited with our tickets
Stamped our hands and stepped inside
You smiled at me and took my arm
Said, “Let’s get a drink.”
Beauty draped around your face
Neon purple, blue, and pink
Is destiny consumerism?
A history of mesmerism?
The source of life in moments
Sons and daughters, happy, dancing
On a ceiling full of flame
Only memory remains
Right this way, your future’s waiting
Do you think you’d know? Could you tell?
Exactly when you entered hell?
Or heaven much the same?
Another story now unfolds
One hundred souls
One hundred names
How long does it sincerely take
To steal our breath?
To conjure death?
With guitar strings
With drums and bass
Replacing time with memories
Heartbreak anniversaries
A page full of obituaries
And stars for stinging eyes
The music stops before it ends
The radio repeats the lies
The DJ spins the song and cries
How rock and roll will never die

You kissed my face much like before
Waiting at the backstage door
The opening act was nothing much
But still, I felt your loving touch
Your hand upon my back
Like words of love upon a page
Cattywampus, dive bar place
The venue would soon be a cage
Of charcoal mixed with blood
For February remembers when
How seconds burned to salt
And who’s to blame?
And who’s at fault?
These moments into minutes melt
How many was it? Do you recall?
Six minutes, to be precise
Yes, time flies when we’re having fun
We miss the chance to cut and run
Music playing somewhere
There’s a tune inside my head
It always ends around the middle
Some riddle of a taradiddle
No need to wonder why
The nexus of a reason why
The facts are framed for all to see
Like red rain sideways through the sky
Heaven’s stairway, by and by
A funeral dirge as angel’s cry
That rock and roll is just a lie

Trying to find the exit door
The night turns black in frantic blooms
The minutes fly so fast (or flew)
You looked so pretty in your dress
He looked so handsome, to be sure
I’ll be back in just a minute
How strange that statement sounds
One minute, two minutes, three and then
The music starts, the scene begins
Lifetimes flash before the eyes
Seconds into minutes, die
You called his name
“Where’s my husband?”
He shouted out,
“Where is my bride?”
They pushed you to an open door
A wave into a wall
The innocence of panic
Rears its head with fears of flight
The night does have a thousand eyes
Sialoquent, our mouths are dry
Now hurry up and wait
It’s far too late, the clocks have stopped
The music ended hours ago
I watched you walking through the fire
No flames did touch your skin
Chaos all around your hair
But you remained unscathed
The building falls around our feet
Like waves of burning coal
As angels shine inside the smoke
Searching for new souls
Now we stand inside the sun
Our tickets in our hands
Waiting for the show to start
An audience of broken hearts
Silence now surrounds the times
A field of markers much as graves
A concert full of tears we saved
Names engraved on tribute walls
Prayers cling fast to sacred halls
White balloons for cobalt skies
The clouds abound with grey despise
The nature of the song’s a lie
For rock and roll has surely died

TM DiSarro
©2024 TM DiSarro/MindScapes Publishing
Three books available on Amazon

 

Twenty-one years ago, 100 people died, and more than 200 others were injured in a fire at the Station nightclub in West Warwick.

Here’s a timeline of what happened:

The headliner, Great White, took the stage at about 11:07 p.m. As the opening number began, their manager set off pyrotechnic devices known as gerbs, which shoot sparks into the air. The sparks ignited the foam-insulating material surrounding the stage, and the flames quickly began spreading.

9 seconds after ignition: Flames are first visible on the wall above the stage. At first, the crowd seemed to think it was part of the show.

19 seconds: The crowd begins to react as the flames progress upward. Members of the band start to become aware of the fire.

25 seconds: The flames start spreading to the ceiling.

35 seconds: The band stops playing and leaves the stage, and the audience begins to flee toward the main entrance.

48 seconds: Fire alarms go off. The report says the Station had working alarms, but they weren’t connected to a central station service or the local fire department’s alarm office. The club did not have automatic sprinklers installed.

1 minute: The building starts to fill with thick, black smoke.

1 minute, 53 seconds: The majority of the crowd tries to escape through the main entrance, creating a massive bottleneck in the narrow corridor as heavy smoke pours out above their heads. Those who made it out of the building try to help free people trapped in the pile.

2 minutes: Fire alarms no longer audible.

2 minutes, 23 seconds: People try to escape through windows near the bar area.

3 minutes: Thick, black smoke is coming

3 minutes, 25 seconds: The front entrance is filled with smoke as the crowd of people struggles to escape.

4 minutes: Black smoke continues to thicken.

4 minutes, 30 seconds: Flames can be seen at the front entrance and in the open windows along the front of the building.

5 minutes: The fire has spread throughout the building.

6 minutes: The building is fully involved, with many people still trapped inside.