The Armies Of Peace

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="11f285a1erlcgo.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>Berton Braley Cyber Museum</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Berton Braley Cyber Museum"><U><B>home</B></U></A><B>     </B></div> <div>                                                   </div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="11ed2c00dkelyh.png"> <div> <A HREF="news_.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News"><U>News</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="biography.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biography"><U>Biography</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="works.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Works"><U>Works</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="bibliography.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bibliography"><U>Bibliography</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="correspondence.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Correspondence"><U>Correspondence</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="library.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Library"><U>Library</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="meeting_place.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Meeting place"><U>Meeting place</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="guestbook.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Guestbook"><U>Guestbook</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="market.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Market"><U>Market</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="links.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links "><U>Links </U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="search.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Search"><U>Search</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id400.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Foundation"><U>About Foundation</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="about_museum.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Museum"><U>About Museum</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>The Armies Of Peace</I><I>                                                                                                   </I></div> <div> <I><B>No band precedes them on parade, no uniform they wear,</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>But armed with shovel, fuse and pick the underworld they dare,</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>They war against the inky dark, the overhanging shale</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>And all the perils that may mark a miner's burrowed trail.</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Each day they seek the pit again to make the seam pay toll,</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>The armies that go underground to give the world its coal.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>they face the ever-lurking damp that strikes when all seems well</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>And turns the many workings to a fierce and flaming hell.</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>They take their chance with cheerful mien in dust and wet and mirk,</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>They are not heroes to themselves--just workmen at their work.</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>And so they go about their task--to shoot and cut and hole,</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>The armies that go underground to give the world its coal.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>They mine the gleaming anthracite to meet the need of men.</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>(Forests of ancient ages which are brought to light again).</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>They mine the soft bituminous, a million boilers burn,</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Which keeps the wheels of industry forever on the turn.</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Of all the life we live today they are the very soul,</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>The armies that go underground to give the world its coal.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Our trains that thunder overland, on rails of shining steel,</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Our ships that travel over seas, on swift and steady keel,</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>The fire that warms our houses and the light that keeps them bright</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Are spoils of all the battles that these peaceful soldiers fight!</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>So let the trump of triumph sound, they stand on honor's roll,</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>These armies that go underground  to give the world its coal.</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>Published in: </I><A HREF="id297.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Anthologies"><U><I>Ballads Of Coal Mining</I></U></A><I>, 1913</I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="copyright.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Copyright"><U><I>© 2000-2006, Berton Braley Cyber Museum. </I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="copyright.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Copyright"><U><I>All rights reserved.</I></U></A></div> <div> <I>---</I></div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:info@bertonbraley.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:info@bertonbraley.com"><U><I>Contact Webmaster Peter Leeflang</I></U></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="mailto:info@bertonbraley.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:info@bertonbraley.com"><U> </U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>