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Poetry
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A Miner's Lament
By BrianRobertNeal
23 June 2006
This won a bronze award in a prestigious poetry Competition.

Whilst Tennyson was agonising about lost ephemera others were losing far more significant things.

Break, Break,Break,
Black coal seam set before me.
What I’d give for a shipyard job
Where at least the sky you can see.

O well for the Foundry hands,
Though their hearing slips away,
O well for the smelter bands;
Whose lips and tongues will turn grey.

And the Colliery over-men go on
Tallying, and counting to their fill,
But oh for the touch of a soft cool breeze
Away from the squeal of the drill.

Break, Break,Break
Oh my aching arms agony!
A back that’s straight: lungs that freely breathe,
Will they never come back to me?

Reviews
Miner's Lament
Written by Buchan (42 comments posted) 23rd June 2006
Very well expressed poem. Showing lots of character as the miners did (many without choice) Thank you for writing and sharing this Lament..we owe the miners a lot. Thank you .
Another world
Written by Leo (573 comments posted) 23rd June 2006
You've given us a great insight into a very different time and place. Who can imagine the hardship faced by the likes of these miners.  
 
You have captured their plight very eloquently in this piece of writing. 
 
Thoroughly enjoyed it.
Miners Lament
Written by lordspudz (10 comments posted) 23rd June 2006
Liked this alot. You can picture yourself standing next to the narrator at the pit face and feel thier desire to be in a better job, a better place. 
Wonderfully Moving
Written by mishmish (389 comments posted) 23rd June 2006
Hi Brian 
 
This poem had great personal resonance for me. My father when he was young was a mine driver, he was responsible for digging out the path of coal face. So your poem made me remember what he told me...How he longed for sunlight, how the coal and soot seeped through and no matter how much he washed, everything remained grey. 
 
A thoroughly moving poem that really captured what it must have been like. 
 
Thank you for this... 
 
with best wishes 
 
mishmish
Hi Buchan
Written by BrianRobertNeal (1195 comments posted) 24th June 2006
Welcome to GW and thanks for your time and comments. 
Reviews on the Poetry Forum are a scarce commodity and therefore treasured. 
 
So thank you, 
 
Brian.
Thanks Leo.
Written by BrianRobertNeal (1195 comments posted) 24th June 2006
It's hard to no which was worse grinding hard labour or soul destroying redundancy and long term unemployment. 
 
Thanks for your time and comments. 
 
Brian
Hi LS
Written by BrianRobertNeal (1195 comments posted) 24th June 2006
Welcome to GW, 
 
Thanks for your time and comments, it's really great when you can get across to others through your writing, 
 
Brian.
Once again ta MM
Written by BrianRobertNeal (1195 comments posted) 24th June 2006
As above + I'm glad that you coroborate the "feelings" in the poem. 
 
Thanks for your time and comments. 
 
Brian

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