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Who knows when the last time I saw Anthony

smile was.  He’s always dirty, angry, and drunk.

I remember when I first met him.  Bluest eyes I

have ever seen.  Pretty smile too.  But now, now all

I see is black.  The mines, they swallowed him up.

I yell at him because he talks so sad to Walter.

I say “Anthony, he’s just a boy.”  He hits me.  Poor

Walter.  He thinks it’s all his fault.  I hear him cry

at night sometimes.  It’s hard to ask him what is

wrong.  He’s only 12, but he is too proud to be

seen upset.  He keeps everything to himself.

He always asks “where is daddy?” I tell him

“He’s still at work, Walter”  Although that’s a

lie.  His shift ended hours ago.  He’s at the

bar. Walter says “why don’t we ever

move like daddy says I should?”  I wonder the

same thing myself, but I can’t say that to Walter.

I always ask Anthony, “why do you do something

you wouldn’t wish upon your worst enemy?”

He says “Down those mines, there is hell,

but that hell is my hell.”