The Collier's Wife

The Collier's Wife written by William Henry Davies

From "The Bird of Paradise", 1914

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The collier's wife had four tall sons
  Brought from the pit's mouth dead,
  And crushed from foot to head;
When others brought her husband home,
Had five dead bodies in her room.

Had five dead bodies in her house —
  All in a row they lay —
  To bury in one day:
Such sorrow in the valley has
Made kindness grow like grass.

Oh, collier, collier, underground,
  In fear of fire and gas,
  What life more danger has?
Who fears more danger in this life?
There is but one — thy wife!

This work is in the public domain in countries where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or less.