Vincent Van Gogh 29 - An Accident Poem by Geeta Radhakrishna Menon

Just when a thin ray of light creeped
Into the miner's lives, a sudden calamity,
In the mines, crushed all hopes and joys!
Vincent was up in Marcasse with children,
Gathering terril in the black mountains,
When they saw little black figures rushing out
In a mad rush, across the field in all directions.
"What has happened"? exclaimed Vincent.
"There has been an accident! ."
Shouted a young boy in the crowd.

Vincent and the children scrambled down,
Tearing their hands on the rocks
And bitten by black ants on the legs.
When they reached down the Marcasse,
The women with their children tagging along,
Ran out in panic, in search of their loved ones.
Soon, a cart drew up with many dead and injured.
Some women cried out hysterically, while others,
Stood still in shock, while the children whimpered.
The men ran around shouting on top of their voices.

The children were burnt badly from head to foot.
Looking at the burnt children, Vincent shouted out:
"Black Egypt"! "O God! How could you? "
Vincent got some oil, applied it on a child's body.
He shouted: "Bandages". When nothing arrived,
He tore off the clothes from his body, bandaged
The child fully, then ran to the second child with oil,
Tore off his under garments and trousers to bandage.
By the time, he reached the third child, he had used up
All his clothes, his shirt, his trousers and all his under garments.

Pulling the only coat across his bare chest,
He ran across the field to Marcasse.
He could hear the lament of mothers and wives,
Whose dear ones were trapped in the horrific accident.
Fifty seven men, women and children were lost,
Buried deep under the rock, never to be seen again.
For twelve days, rescue crew worked non-stop.
There was no mining, no coal brought up,
So, no wages were paid. Madam Denis baked bread,
Distributed, until she had exhausted all her capital.

Vincent was shocked, pained and petrified.
When his April wages of fifty francs arrived,
He went to Wasmes, brought food for the miners.
The village lived with this food for exactly six days.
After that they went to woods to collect berries,
Leaves and grass. They were hungry and desperate.
They caught rats, snails, lizards, even cats and dogs!
At last, there was nothing more to eat.
The village had reached a starvation point.
What could be done, except to die!

A Biographical Poem!