Midnight, Outside the Church
Sago, WV
I finally dozed…….
In a lawn chair outside the Church.
Somebody wrapped me in a quilt and
I finally dozed.
I awake to the shouts.
I awake to the church bells.
I cry with relief now.
A man grabs me off the chair.
I don’t know who he is.
He swings me in the air.
Why are these people here?
He is so happy.
I am so happy.
We are so happy.
I cry and pray some more.
Thank God, thankgod thangod thagod thagod,
Over and over, in my mind.
Thank God Thank God thank God.
Somebody gives me coffee.
It’s warm. It smells good.
It feels good in my cold hands.
Crying people hug me and smile.
I can’t stop smiling.
We can’t stop smiling.
We smile at the strangers.
We smile at the world.
We smile at God.
I smile so hard, I think my cheeks will burst.
The tears make my cheeks numb.
I don’t know what to do now.
Now, that the worst is over.
I’ll wait some more, I guess.
Find the ladies’ room.
All that coffee.
Waiting, but it’s ok now…..they’re alive.
Everybody says it’s a miracle.
Three days in the deep and the cold.
Two hundred sixty feet under.
It has to be a miracle.
Since Monday…..it was Monday, Monday mornin early.
We were too tired the night before.
Bad air, no water, no food
But our men, our men are strong.
They know what to do.
They been doin it for years.
We’ve been watchin them doin it for years.
Thank God Thank God Thank God
Everybody says it’s a miracle.
Peg Clifford, January 5, 2006