A Miner
A miner is a man whose flesh is meshed with steel
His eyes are primed with dirt and grime
And mud beneath his heels
His wit as sharp as drilling bits
His language black as coal
But none so sound as under ground
A miner knows his soul
Circa 1953
Labor Day
I’ve worked the railroad and the mines
I’ve worked with wet-backs trucking grapes
I’ve worked to service cars and trucks
And many other jobs I’ve done
It makes me humble in the face
Of those who’ve labored all their lives
A holiday for laborers made law in eighteen ninety four
After a labor union strike turned riot leaving dozens dead
They struck for living wages and conditions where they worked
Twelve hours a day all seven days from ages six until they died
So many violent strikes it took; so many killed to bring about
The benefits of work today we take for granted blithely so
Industrial revolution which the workers tried to sabotage
Has given way in this new age to smart technologies
Displacing workers as before and fewer jobs for laborers
And competition for good jobs has now gone world wide
Where education will prevail, the lesser ones will fail
Our nation must prioritize our schooling lest we fade
9/3/17
