West By God Virginia

A poem by Berea College student Britney Napier on the Buffalo Mining Creek Disaster. 7:57 AM The mountains are still asleep The dense fog dissipates into the low-lying valleys After the delicate dew had been ignited By the waking West Virginian Sun Hush now, you’ll wake the baby 7:58 AM Jesus told Noah to build the Ark on the Driest of days But spoke not a word To the backwaters preacher 7:59 AM Disregard them living downstream Don’t need no permit for Disaster Concrete promises Collapse 8:00 AM Can’t make it To higher ground Swept under sludge That we have created A twenty foot wave made of The byproduct of generations **** “A bridge collapses. An airplane crashes. A coal mine explodes And dams fail. And people die.” Spat Governor Ad Hoc In his Official Report 132 million gallons unleashed 118 lives lost 4,000 people left homeless An act of God, Governor said God’s grace don’t reach the valley That’s why we call it West by God Virginia Think of all them youngins Had their little lungs not been filled Mud and soot And had their brittle bones been left uncrushed By the aluminum casing of their homes To miss out on Watching their daddy’s break their backs in the mines While being nickeled and dimed To be diagnosed with cancer Cause they got genetic pools like Slurry ponds And the only remorse to be found From Buffalo Creek Mining And the Pittston Company Was the fact they killed off The next batch of workers To learn more about the Buffalo Mining Creek disaster visit our memorial display at the Appalachian Center and if you feel so inclined sign your name to honor and remember the lives that were lost during this tragic event.