The Coal Miner

You finally get there,

A place of death that can be oddly fulfilling due to the challenges and dangers of the job

The pick you are given is now a part of you

You must protect it, take care of it, make sure not to let go

Once you’re in the mine you hope you can get out,

But you’re stuck

These people you see before you might be the last you ever see

Your hopes are always low because you might never see the ones you care for again

The long hours you work are never worth it

The heat is unbearable with little to no water

All you know is that nothing is on your side

The darkness or the light can swallow you whole in a second

You won’t see it coming but it will rip you apart,

And you have to just sit there,

Not knowing what to feel

You see your friends drop like flies

Some will go crazy and some will just die,

But the job must get done

Once you are sick of mining coal you just want to leave,

But you stay and finish the job you started

And sometimes when your shift is over, you help others

Although you always wonder why, because they would never do the same for you

It’s not all that bad because when you go through something terrible

And some of your friends loyally stick with you

You know you must never lose those friends

One day when you're mining the coals you could hear a horrible noise

It’s the noise of death

There is nothing you can do,

So you sit there as the mine caves in

Most of your friends are dead,

But you must focus on survival

That’s all that matters

And after days of waiting for rescue

Your hopes are dwindling

After what feels like months you see your rescuers

So you leave and don’t look back

You're free

Finally free.