Simon Rowson comments

Want to know what's going on at Fukushima?

Read this: http://rt.com/op-edge/fukushima-radiation-threat-level-288/

I know this isn't a poetry site but I thought some of you might appreciate the following as I wrote it in utter disgust, being a permanent resident of Tokyo who experienced the Tohoku earthquake firsthand and who then incredulously witnessed its aftermath's continuing administrative incompetence and corruption. (BTW, this is meant to be broken up into 5 stanzas of 4 lines apiece but Japan Today's format doesn't allow this. SR)

THE BALLAD OF TEPCO

"Our sole concern's our stocks and shares

As for the farmers, we don't care,

Let them starve or let them flee

Did they really think energy came risk free?

They took our cash when we wanted land

So who are they to reprimand?

We openly built a ticking bomb

Now the atom is king and their farms are gone

Just for the moment, we'll pretend we're sorry

With false concern and falser worry,

Luckily, the memories of fools are short

And blunders soon hidden with favours bought

Today we'll resign, so full of regrets

But blink an eye and we're back - the government's pets.

Will we make the same mistakes? Oh, that's funny!

Of course we will you moron if it makes us money

So is there any land for sale near you?

We've designed a facility that's totally new.

But the risk's the same as it was before

Risk to you, not us - we're covered by law."