Coal Family
My family tree has its roots
As workers near coal mines
With their private land bought up
By companies for a dime
Some family still work there
At the best job they could get
With a generation or two
Earning coal money for their debt:
Coal put food on the table
And was money to fix our teeth
And paid for cars and insurance
With benefits no job could beat
Thirty years is a lot of time
To work in one place
And coal has helped my family
Many sooty days
Some fear all the coal
May lead to some disease
I cannot respond to that
But know that it might be