canary

can god hear a prayer

from the middle of the earth?

for miners taking his last breath

has it all been worth it

to take that dirty money and buy the kids some shoes

she took that dirty money

and sent them off to school

her husband wouldn't live

long past 41

cause that coal dust was eating

eating holes in his lungs

and i bet she felt guilty

for taking every dime

cause he'd make her a widow long before her time. trapped like a canary in a cage

living down by choices that we make. a long time ago

she was a bride before 16

she wore white just for spite

and he just grit his teeth

cause he swore he'd rather die

than crawl around some cave

and that baby in her belly

was dirt upon his grave

trapped like a canary in a cage

living down by choices that we make. sometimes love's a prison

a life long sacrifice

and my grandparent's picture

i see their desperate eyes

hanging in that hallway

watching me walk by

watching all their children

see the same mistakes.