The ghost of Lincolnshire's Daughter
Tonight smiles from her grave
With the locking of iron gates
Ends a plan that she made
Every father passed to his son
A family craft that was unbroken
Doffing of peaks, kept in line
With the banksman's pit token
Then with questions of fairness
Would lead to great losses
They would stand toe to toe
With their betters and pit bosses
Westminster Right would revel
In a working class decline
Pomposity and misuse of
Yorkshire's Thin Blue Line
So with lungs blackened with dust
A once strong Union's last stand
They walked out lamenting
To tunes of the colliery brass band
Girls of a New chapel opened in Wales
Heard about the struggle that two sisters in Uganda heed
A two hour round trip down mountain and vales
Twice a day to get 20 litre of water for family needs.
So they baked cakes organised fund raising
The colliery band and local choir helped them out
Even had a sponsored walk up Pen-y-fan *carrying
Water bottles to emulate the Uganda girls plight
They raised £1500 in a short time
Handing it over to the Tear Fund chairman
This will go towards a storage tank for water, that's fine
Plus Spring wells to alleviate some of the problem
This is news that shows the good grace of these children
The wanting to help the less fortunate.
The ability to think of others, finding a way to help
Giving up their time to raise money to donate
* pen-y-fan is in the Brecon Beacons a desolate area where the SAS do their training
Penned 20 October 2014
THE MINER’s TEAR
With a blackened finger he points and fears
This terrible day of four hundred tear’s
Young mothers, wives and brides to be
Their loved ones smile once more to see.
Who will they bring from this hell?
Deeper than the drinking well.
Young David? Just a boy you know!
Or old man Bryn with son in tow?
A massive blast a wind that burns
With all their heart they run and turn.
The smell of gas came much too late
That spark of light that sealed their fate.
The men and boys of the colliery
No more nights of life to see
Now laying cold in a saddened grave
For our comfort their lives they gave
We will not forget you Brave men of coal
Risking your life in that deepest hole
You will always be here in our dreams ,
Risking it all on Welsh coal seams.
I remember waking to the smell of coffee
Miner’s going off to work
Hear that colliery whistle blowing
Lunch cans in hand
Look of determination on faces
A sense of purpose, a sense of pride
A dignity in a hard day’s work
Coal Crackers
Local bars thrived for the hard working hard drinking miner
Church on Sunday, back to Hell on Monday
No complaints, feeding their families
Sirens going off, waiting for word, praying
Two injured, no fatalities, lucky day
Visit the injured, covered dish, thanking God
A different breed, God fearing, hard working
Coal Crackers
Walking little brother by the coal banks
Wind blowing, coal dust, blackened faces
Laughing, mom’s going to be mad
Bathtub ring, Dad’s coming home
Supper’s on the table, say grace
Rough day, Sun still shines so we’re okay
Coal Crackers.
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