Ghostly Echoes of a Colliery's Past

The Ings showed the scars of a dust blooded past The heavy air clouds came in way too fast A pool outcrop showed a shining light The air grew thin on the Ings that night Noises were heard, movement of men underground Rumbles under feet, voices all around We stopped and stared, in fright, in fear These noises, these rumbles should not be here? Train whistles over moving wheels on tracks Smoke filling the air, the flaming tower out back Bustle, rumble, roar as boots hit this track Men underground returning home and being replaced with fresh new backs Whistling tunes heard along the main footpath You could smell the past, taste it in your mouth. Scraping boots create dust all along the track A boys voice is heard after beating feet ran past 'Dad, dad, dad....mum's not well, please come back' Their movement felt as they walked right past The pool of water glowed then sparkling lights sprung out The lights moved around us and then went back The air grew strong, we could breathe deep at last The heavy air clouds disappeared in an instant flash We watched the glowing lights sink in the outcrop pool The train noises ceased, an eerie silence settled down The smell in the air grew fresh with new surrounding gorse The track dust settled, now Tarmac faced, of course! The Ings now settled to the calls of meadow pipets and skylarks The blackbird song stopped as he watched the canaries fly right past! We held hands and found a seat to sit and see The hills and valley fields around the old colliery sat so beautifully As we sat in silence, as we sat in peace We saw owls fly around the flaming tower now overgrown with weeds We heard a whistling tune from a man and saw a figure at the end of the main footpath His whistling stopped suddenly and then he turned to face us many metres back He stood and stared in his boots, coat, blackened face, flat cap. He raised his hand to acknowledge we were there on his ground, on his track. We both waved right back not blinking as we stared Then in an instant he was gone as he vanished into the cool, summer air.