Manly Mascara ( a miners tale )

I was that miner

The cage descends...

and I as Dante sink low
into the depths of hell and yet
no demons er' scared me as much as this ride,
no flames ever as hot nor ice as cold as the winds
that blow through these hollowed out hallowed corridors.
The men strain
craning necks and tip toed to catch the last rays of light
before being swollowed whole by this Godless hole,
you think you know darkness? .................. think again!
For darkness is but the absence of light
and here miles beneath the horizon
even darkness is lost to the emptiness of the mines.

Coal dust and stone dust coat shadowed sweating faces
filling open mouths and aching lungs,
but this cannot be hell
for here there is no redemption.
 
Lamps lit add only to the gloom
as boots stomp kicking shrapnel and half eaten snap
piss stained and discarded.

There ahead the deisel stands like a ghost train,
white against the coal
illluminated bleakly by the lights of the damned men.

The smell of oil catches in the throat
causing feelings of nausea and trepidation
ears straining
listening as coffins scrape against the bones of this scarred landscape,
bells announce it's coming and our going
as we all pray we never get these signals crossed.

These big men made small by childish fears of the dark
wearing manly mascara to emphasis the staring half blind eyes.
 
Dosco's hum echoing from rough huen walls
as tunnel vision leaves disembarking men unsteady,
their fears conveyed, rattle by crushed by heavy machinery.

Saliva drips from limestone teeth as rings twist and bow
as we know all too well
the strength of strata
and the weight of responsibility.

Mine is the darkness and the darkness is mine

in the darkness
of the
mine.

Author's Note

Snap is the name for the food taken down the mine ( sandwiches etc no silver foil though as a fire hazard and no newspapers )
Manly mascara is the coal dust collecting on the lashes it never truely washed off no matter how you scrubbed.
The coffin is a metal coffin shaped tub on a chain and roof mounted rails that is used to move equiptment
The bells are signals 1 bell inby ( To the seam ) 2 bells outby ( to the cage ) there are others
The rings are the metal girders that hold up the roof of the tunnel.

This is self biographical as I was once a miner suffering these very fears

Reviews

[J Todd Underhill]

I was reminded of the Chilean miners and their struggle woth this. I have brothers in law who mine and it is no easy job, great portrayal here. loved the title as well!

[Daytonight]

This sounds horrific. I would be so very terrified. I realize we need to mine but it saddens my heart that people have to go through this! Thank you for sharing this. Keep on penning.