Rise And Fall Poem by Mary Champion

Many still speak about my grandfather -
and you can sense the admiration -
a man always proud of his origins -
born and raised in the Rhondda valley.
When he was young, a fire was in his eyes,
a fire that blazed for justice and fair play.
They lost count of how many times he stood
before a crowd of his fellow miners
to give a rousing speech - a call to arms.
'We all work like dogs for the mine-owners,
but while they cream off the obscene profits,
and lord it over us from their mansions,
we live in lowly hovels, hand to mouth.
It is time to rise, to confront their greed
and build ourselves a better tomorrow.'
For decades they struggled against the odds
and their tomorrows began to grow brighter.
Then the Anti-Christ entered Downing Street
and out of pure spite, snatched it all away.
By the time she was done the mines were closed.
In truth, they had to close, to green the future,
the planet was choked on air pollution.
But that was not what motivated her
and no one gave them another option.