Those mines ruled my world—
the coal mines of Southern Illinois.
My family came from
the Tennessee mountains
to dig in those mines.
They fought the Civil war and died.
They farmed and mined.
They sang, fought and prayed.
Working men breathing that dust, killing themselves every day,
and drinking it away at night.
Union men from Lewis day,
beating scabs to death.
Living in coal mine camps,
those little towns today.
Every morning, down the hole,
every evening drink some more.
The barbecues and parades,
the strikes and bar fights.
Threats on the phone, 
“We’ll kill your wife,”
Now, there’s a gun by the bed.
Every business bowed to coal,
every man worked it somehow
‘til the day coal died,
and those mines closed down—
Spelling the death of the little town,
and the life they knew.

About the Author
Chris Bunton is a writer, blogger and poet from Southern Illinois. He has published in Written Tales. He also publishes and edits an online magazine called, “The Yard: Crime Blog”. He has written a book entitled,  “Made Free: Overcoming Addiction”, about addiction recovery. He writes flash fiction, short stories and non-fiction in various genres and categories.. His poetry spans from the traditional, to the spoken word style.