Protect and Survive

They said: protect and you’ll survive
(but our postman didn’t call)
8 pounds of over-pressure wave seemed to glue him to the wall.
They said: protect and you’ll survive.
E.M.P. took out the radio
(and our milk-man didn’t call)
Flash blinded by the pretty lights,
didn’t see his bottles fall
or feel the warm black rain arrive.
Big friendly cloud builds in the West
(and our dust-men haven’t called).
They left the dual carriageway at a hundred miles an hour,
a tail wind chasing them away.
And in deep shelters lurk below, sub-regional control
who sympathise but cannot help
to mend your body or your soul.
Self-appointed guardians of the race with egg upon their face.
When steady sirens sing all-clear they pop up,
find nobody here.
And so I watch two new suns spin
(our paper man doesn’t call),
Burnt shadow printed on the road now there’s nothing there at all.
They said: protect and you’ll survive.