The Real Cost of Coal
written by: Bev Muendel-Atherstone
The coal miner descends into his dark cave,
Where he, his father and his father’s father,
Eked out a living for decades enslaved,
Their lives, traded for coal, profited others.
While he, his father and his father’s father,
Eked out a living; for others they slaved.
Trading their lives to profit the owners,
As Anthracite on their lungs scars engraved.
Eking a scant living from coal enslaved,
While Anthracosis ravaged their lungs,
From anthracite on their lungs scars engraved,
They’re powerless to protect their own sons.
After ebony dust has ravished his lungs,
Sensing his toil brings an early grave,
Yet too ill to protect his very own sons.
The coal miner descends down into his cave.
The coal miner descends into his black cave,
Where he, his father and his father’s father,
Eked out a living for decades enslaved,
Their lives, traded for coal, profiting others.
While he, his father and his father’s father,
Eked out a living; for others they slaved.
Trading their lives to profit the owners,
As Anthracite on their lungs scars engraved.
Eking barely a living by coal enslaved,
As millions burned coal that savaged earth’s lungs,
And Anthracosis their scared lungs enraged,
How will we protect the earth’s and our young?
As millions burned coal that savaged earth’s lungs,
Sensing our toil portends an early grave,
Yet too ill to protect the earth’s and our young,
The coal miner descends back into his cave.
Bev Muendel-Atherstone
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