Coal Mines

Sit down, my lad. The line is moving slowly, and it will be some time before we need to get up and walk again. Rest your feet, and we'll talk a bit, to pass the time.

I can see you're impatient; you're young, and you have all the fire of youth telling you to be somewhere, do something, to shout and dance. That's good, but patience is better. Look there: a flash of yellow. The tunnels are dark, and the lights are few here, but you can still see a bit of color once in a while, the only kind of sunlight we have. Whenever you get impatient, just set yourself to watching for a spot of gold, one of our little moving stars.

Ah, here, the line shifted. No, don't get up, just shuffle yourself along the ground. It takes less energy that way.

The mines we walk through have been here since I was young, like you. They seem to go on forever, don't they? They wind off into the dark, and so do we, in this long line of people. Average people, like you, like me. See how they're all colors, from many different places, but they all have some similarities? There's a young Australian woman, from Perth, I'll bet, and her two young children. Over there, right behind the Toronto steelworker...? Yes, now you see her. She was chatting with that young girl from Texas before, but they seem to be silent now.

What's that? Ah, yes. The reason we're here is... Well, I'm not quite sure, but I know it's a good reason, since our country's leaders brought us here and led us into the mines. Which country, you say? Well, all of them, really, or most of them... All the ones worth mentioning, in my opinion. Who cares about those little backward places out in the middle of nowhere? They still plow with oxen, you know. Dirty things.

Didn't you hear about when we first came here? I guess not, looking at your expression. Well, as I said, our leaders struck out and found these tunnels. Can you imagine the sight, all those CEOs and brokers, all the venture capitalists and R and D folks... and we can't forget their counterparts in the old USSR, either, for all they say they weren't capitalists; they were just as involved in exploring this territory as we were. All those heads of society, striking out --

What? The president, and the prime minister and all? Oh, they came along for the ride, but the real trailbreakers were the corporate heads. After all, who are the real leaders of the world? Think, boy.

See, there's another flicker of yellow. I think they're getting more common. You know, you're smaller than I remember. Maybe it's just this old memory of mine, getting rusty. Where was I? Oh, yes.

So off we went, and followed them into the mines. You might see one going back along the line sometimes, or someone new going toward the front, but they're all up there way ahead of us. And we've been here ever since. No, I don't know quite where we're going, but I'm sure it will have been worth it.

Ah, see, you caught a glimpse of that one, didn't you? Sometimes they'll fly over our heads, you know. Oh, couldn't you tell what they are? They're canaries, lad, little yellow birds. I have a feather one dropped, I think, that I picked up a long time ago; I have it here, somewhere... Isn't that one, there, on your shirt? Ah, yes.

The mines are kind of stuffy, aren't they? I don't mind that so much as the light, these days. Back when I was younger you could still see a bit of sun now and then, a little light around the corners. Now it's just dark. Not all that bad, I guess, and we have a few torches, a few people who help light the way. And there's always the canaries.

Better scoot along, now, the people in front moved again. Quite a ways, this time, farther than we've moved in a while. Pardon? Oh, that, yes. It's another little canary, huddled in the corner; maybe it fainted, or perhaps it's trying to catch its breath. It'll be all right, don't worry; everyone says that that's just what canaries do. I've seen a couple I thought might be dead, but I know they were probably just resting. What could harm them down here, after all?

The Australian lady, the one from Perth, she used to have three kids, but the little boy went away. He just vanished one day, and now she has two... Would you like a drink of water? Your voice sounds squeaky.

There weren't so many little birds when we first came here, but as we go deeper, they seem to show up more. I like to collect the feathers, when I can... You seem to have a few yourself, don't you? Your eyesight is better than mine, I'd wager. You have both hands full of them now, almost like you were growing them, a beautiful golden yellow; buttercups were that color. Not many flowers here now.

You are smaller, I'd almost swear it. I used to hike a lot as a young man, you know, go out and wander around the trees, breathe the fresh air, and listen to nature. My friends always thought I was batty when I told them I could understand the birds, but I listened all the same... What's that? Wait, let me help you out of those clothes, they really are much too big for you now. Oop, here, I'll just bundle them under my arm, and we'll move up the line again. Just hop along, that's right. Nothing to it.

No sunshine here these days, but I really like seeing the bright yellow canaries... That little boy from Perth, I think he was like you. His mother never talks about him anymore, even though I've noticed that his sister is starting to look a little yellowish. I think her mom tries to pluck the feathers, but it doesn't really work.

Eh? Yes, I hear you. You're right, the line is pretty long, but I disagree, I think it's for something good at the end. Even if it's not, well, what else have I got to do? I've been standing in this line half my life... At least I'm used to it, and the people here are familiar, you know? I'd rather stay here than try somewhere else.

Here's my finger; I'll hold it out, you just have a perch here and you can see farther. I suppose if you felt like it, you could fly down there and have a look... No? Feeling a little out of breath? That's all right, that's the way canaries are, you'll be fine in a bit. You just stick with me. I've seen quite a few people like you, you know; maybe that's why you little birds are showing up more down here. Not too many stick around, though, and I see a few on the floor of the passage, but even canaries have to sleep, don't they?

No, I don't know the way out of these mines... It's been years, you know, and a lot of walking. Other than the dark, it's fine here, don't you think? And your feathers light up the darkness pretty well. Why don't you just stay here, and we'll talk a bit, to pass the time. No? Off you go, then, and be sure to stop to rest once in a while, maybe keep one of the birds in the corner company. I'll be seeing you.