"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life,
to mind your own business
and to work with your own hands,
just as we told you,
so that your daily life
may win the respect of outsiders
and so that you will not be
dependant on anybody."

~ St. Paul, in a letter to the church of Thessalonica (NIV Bible)

Coal Miner's Commute

Turning on the spigot with
a calloused hand,
he watched the crystal water
trickle
into his dented canteen.
As he screwed on the rusty lid,
his blue eyes traveled
the room,
loathe to depart
the warm, familiar scene.

His old lady had packed his bucket,
spreading the sandwiches thin . . .
a slice of minced ham,
smears of mustard
and colored butterine.
she had the coffee ready
in the dripolator pot;
He only needed to stir the coals
to get the fire
good and hot.

She and the kids would be waking
'bout the time he trudged
down the road.
The colliery wasn't so far away, but
he'd carry
a heavy load.

Seemed every day got harder
as he stepped out in the dark,
leaving all he cared about behind . . .
Well, no sense dwelling on it,
there was no other work.
With one last swig
of coffee,
he set out for the mine . . .
He set out for his job
in the black heart
of the mine.

(c) Connie Faust