At the Top of Thirteen, the Insomniac Dreams
Aside from the coal miner, There were other jobs as well. Take "the trapper," for instance. Ever heard of the trapper? If you haven't, I'll give you a brief introduction. He's the one who sat in the dark. The trapper, usually a young child, Stayed in the darkness at the swing door; There, he listened for the coal-cart approaching Along the tracks. Just in that moment, the child bolted upright And swung the trap door open, And the action itself led way to the name "trapper." Mostly though, the trapper had nothing to do but sit alone in cold, muddy darkness. In the quiet mines, the child waited countless hours for a signal-sound. Some days, it only happened once or twice. When it came, the trapper would jump to his feet And open the door wide enough For the cart to pass through, But once the cart glided past, The trapper returned to his quiet, sightless world. Darkness is long and stretched out.