The Human in the Coal Mine - poem

Lawrence Hall
mhall46184@aol.com
poeticdrivel.blogspot.com

The Human in the Coal Mine

From a thought by Tod Mixson

The buzzards in the coal mine shift their claws
And watch the human breathe
The buzzards in the coal mine work their beaks
And watch the human breathe

The buzzards in the coal mine swing their wings
And watch the human breathe
The buzzards in the coal mine wait and wait
And watch the human breathe

The buzzards in the coal mine gleefully note
That the human has ceased to breathe

Canary in a Coal Mine

Lawrence Hall
Mhall46184@aol.com

Canary in a Coal Mine

If a canary dies, who notices?
One little bird, of no significance -
Except for a specific circumstance -
Sacrifices its life to tell a tale.

If two canaries die, who notices?
Two little birds, of slight significance -
Except for a specific circumstance -
Sacrifice their lives to caution us.

If all canaries die, who then is left
To grasp, to gasp the truth learned far too late -
Civilization dies one canary at a time
Tiny corpses littering the mine.