Shame
Burnt Alive
Fame and flame by death
At greed’s sticky hand
A mum
Just 25
And three little kids
Too young for this
Too young to die
Homeless and helpless
In a welfare hotel
Size of a wardrobe
But no clothes to be seen
Hungry and lean
A one ringed gas stove on floor to cook
And a short past, a story of all who took
No money
No chance
No hope
No care
Turned heads
And crooked smiles
A mum and three kids
Living in hell
Front page news
The Daily News
Weeks before interviewed by this reporter
We laughed, told a joke
No sadness just broke
Buried in Brooklyn section
Not worthy of selection
Nobody cared
But death and fire buy fame
Quotes and photos had
Big scoop
Big boy
Big byline
Front page
The first
Excited and ready to burst
Backs slapped and beer had
Kid ya done good, so glad
Bar Extra Extra alive
Wife arrived
Why so up
First front page byline
Beamed smiles of pride
Well done she cried
I’m proud
Let’s read
Shock
Horror
Anger
Three children and mum
Bold and cold
Shame she said
And turned and fled
The ups and downs and old reporter said
That’s newspapers
But shame it was
Still is today
Shelter Rock Hotel
176 Palisade Avenue
Greenpoint, Brooklyn
January 20 1986
Ida Hernandez, 25
Elizabeth Hernandez, 6
Ida Hernandez, 4
Santana Hernandez, 1
Burnt alive in their room for greed
Shame on me
Shame on all
God looks on
And shakes his head
New day today and how many dead


This story is a heartbreaking reminder of the struggles faced by many families living in poverty. It’s tragic that it took such a devastating event for their plight to be noticed. Devastating and heartbreaking ❤️🩹😢
I'm in awe at how simply written it was. It hits deeply. This is truly a sad world we live in