Take me back

Take me back

To the north country

Where coal dust

Washed up by the sea

Turned fine sand black

We all had tide marks

Hiding under frayed collars

Beachcombers carried sacks

To fill a scuttle

With slack to get them through

The winter

Entrepreneur school boys

Negotiated a fee

To carry coal from one

Home to the next

Miners always had enough

To spare

At a pinch.

Dusty steamers

Waited in harbour

Rusted and crusted

With North Sea salt

Coal carriers

By-passing Newcastle

From Seaham to Blyth

Old dogs

Fought for scraps

At the Travellers Rest

Until it caught fire

During the strike

When the soul

Of mining was lost.

In the nineteen century

Durham was the coal coast

Of England

In the nineteen twenties

Mum’s dad gave his life

For his comrades

Without compensation

For those he left behind

They all caught him up

Eventually

Grandma took in washing

Mended other people’s clothes

Not much better off

Than she

Whitewashed steps

To make ends meet

Different times

As hard then

As now

Take me back

Just for a little while

I would like to meet

My Grandad

Hold his hand

And lead him home