Real Living
Dusted
with black coal grit,
miners drag sore bodies
home to the light of their children’s
laughter.
Renewed
with hugs and smiles,
these heroes drift to sleep
knowing sweat and struggles are worth
the cost.
So many in our poetry community and in the world are struggling right now. Please keep them in your prayers. Thank you to those who have been leaving encouraging comments for others. Words have the ability to uplift and brighten lives. That is a gift. Blessings to you for sharing it.
Karen O'Leary is a freelance writer/editor from West Fargo, ND. Her
poetry, short stories, and articles have been published in a variety of
venues. She released her first book of poetry in 2011 called Whispers... published by A.P.F. Publisher. Their second project, Snippets...an anthology of short verse,
contains poetry from 73 talented writers from across the world and was
released in 2012. Karen is a member of The Writers and Poetry Alliance
and the Haiku Society of America.
Very moving & heart warming, Karen
ReplyDeleteDear Terry,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your lovely comment. I appreciate your encouragement and ongoing support of Whispers. What I gift to have you a part of this journey.
Blessings,
Karen
Hi Karen -
ReplyDeleteWhat danger and back breaking work the miner faces each day. Your description of coming home to the children's laughter reminds me of Christmas somehow.
love,
Kathy
Dear Kathy,
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by to comment on my poem. Your support and encouragement are greatly appreciated. What a blessing to having you a part of Whispers.
Karen
Beautiful tribute to the miner. Great visual Karen...
ReplyDeleteRhoda Galgiani
Dear Rhoda,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind comment and your ongoing support. What a gift you are to the writing community. Your friendship means a lot to me.
Blessings,
Karen
Dear Karen, Indeed, mining is a dirty and often dangerous business and many miners have lost their lives. We need the energy, so they work to provide it, much like our military members put their lives on the line for freedom. Truly a thought-provoking poem, Karen. On the lighter side - if you really want to see someone struggling through nature's wrath, you can just watch Jim Cantori on the Weather Channel. LOL Seriously, this is a great poem, my friend. Love, Carolyn
ReplyDeleteDear Carolyn,
ReplyDeleteThank you for this lovely comment. What a gift your friendship and support are. It is so good to have you a part of Whispers. What a bright light you are!!
Blessings,
Karen
A lovely write Karen. I love every line. My Father was a miner.Yes I will pray for everyone. you too. thank you for posting. best wishes. Peter Dome.
ReplyDeleteDear Peter,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind comment. Your support and encouragement are greatly appreciated. It's so good to have you a part of Whispers. I appreciate your thoughts and prayers.
Blessings,
Karen
Dear Karen,
ReplyDeleteMining is a very dangerous job. These men that go out day after day risking their lives to support their families you have described so well. A touching tribute and great writing my friend thank you for sharing it and thank you for your kind comments.
Love Sandra
Dear Sandra,
ReplyDeleteThank you for this lovely comment. Your support and encouragement, as well as your friendship, are such blessings in my life. So glad to have you a part of Whispers.
Karen
Thank you, Gerald Heyder, for the following comment--
ReplyDeleteThank you, Karen, for the glowing comment regarding my poem. Your poem, "Real Living", is a very profound piece about the hardships of being a miner! Well done!
Dear Gerald,
ReplyDeleteYour kind words are greatly appreciated. Thank you for being a part of Whispers and for all the encouragement you give others. It's people like you that make this community possible.
Blessings,
Karen
Thank you, Eleanor Michael, for the following comment--
ReplyDeleteLike this one. Everyone who works understands. Eleanor
Dear Eleanor,
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed the poem. It's so good to have you as a new writer here. I hope you enjoy the journal and will continue to share your words.
Blessings,
Karen
Never truer words said Karen, what strong characters these men must have been and what great role models for both their families, those around them and even today... No hand outs back then if you wanted bread on the table for your family you grafted for it one way or another... Might I thank you here for your reminding us of the health etc of those in the group, having been recently struggling with health myself - I appreciate all those that kept me in mind in these difficult times and thank them. As health is up and down especially in these colder damper months please be patient with my reading/writing - I shall be around in between! Thanks for sharing Karen, you are a light in the darkness!...
ReplyDeleteDear Anna-Marie,
ReplyDeleteYou are a gift to others even though you have health challenges. Thank you so much for your insightful thoughts and for all the comments you left for other writers today. It is encouraging people like you that make Whispers possible.
Blessings,
Karen
Thank you, Suzanne Clement, for the following comment--
ReplyDeleteA fitting salute to the coal miners and how they provide for their families, Karen.
Dear Suzanne,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind comment. It is so good to have you a part of Whispers. I appreciate your encouragement and support.
Blessings,
Karen
Thank you, John Williams, for the following comment--
ReplyDeleteImagery and mood, which is so often in your work, is expressed here with the realization of a coal miner's hard labor, yet at the end of the day an award of home and family makes the struggles worth the cost.
Dear John,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your ongoing friendship and support. It is so good to have you a part of Whispers.
Blessings,
Karen
Thank you, Jack Clubb, for the following comment--
ReplyDeleteThis poem captures in just a few words the struggles many people have to endure just to put food on the table for their families. I saw a documentary that explained how four thousand years ago the stone-age people in Wales mined for copper with sharp bones for picks and rocks for hammers. Their five and six year old children worked underground alongside them. We know this because some of the tunnels are so small. The copper was shipped all over Europe and North Africa. This is a beautifully done form poem that evokes a lot of images for me.
Dear Jack,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this thoughtful review. Your ongoing support and encouragement mean a lot to me. You are such a bright light in the writing community. What a pleasure to have you here at Whispers.
Blessings,
Karen
This is so wonderfully visual and I feel I have lived it myself. I grew up in a working class world. Thank you so much for sharing this perfect little picture with us.
ReplyDeletePam
Dear Pam,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your kind words. Your support and encouragement mean a lot to me. It is so good to have you a part of Whispers.
Blessings,
Karen