Heavy Water

This book-length poem pays tribute to the courage and humour displayed, in suffering, by the people of Chernobyl following the events of April 1986. Each segment paints an intimate picture: some elements of everyday life remain unchanged, others are profoundly altered. The collection's recurring motifs of black and white signal how all are silenced, reduced to anonymity - which in turn engenders fierce solidarity. Meanwhile, men and machines toil side by side to tackle the insurmountable. Petrucci's use of scientific and medical terminology makes his descriptions chillingly precise. In contrast, we hear, from a deeply personal angle, the simply expressed accounts of real people who struggle to cope with the enormity of the disaster. These poems are at once deeply shocking yet pervaded by an uplifting beauty. Throughout the collection emphasis is placed on the importance of human dignity and compassion, on the simple persistence of nature in the context of unspeakable destruction.