The document contains two poems. The first poem is about Rosie the Riveter and celebrates her contribution to the war effort by taking a factory job while men were overseas fighting. The second poem is about a young boy who works in coal mines instead of attending school. It describes the difficult and dangerous conditions he faces in the mines at such a young age. The poem hopes that one day laws will prevent children from being forced to trade their childhood for work in mines out of family necessity.

1. Cash 1
Box # 108
Sandra Cash
Professor Bouchard
ENG 132
Poetic Response to Art
April 9, 2012
Rosie the Riveter
Rosie, how hard it must have been, to do a job of a man
While other women were planting their garden,
But you helped by taking a stand.
In history, you had an important role.
Of supporting the fight, while still at home,
And in the war, we met our goal.
Our homes, are finally being filled by our boys,
whom were dearly missed.
This has brought us many joys.
Young Boy Coal Miner

2. Cash 2
There he stands. Just a child and yet
a man. Instead of drawing figures on chalkboards he drags
coal in the darkest hole, hoping to find more yet praying to see
sunlight.
He is so very young, still scrawny and not that tall.
He should be in school, learning how to read, and how to spell,
But instead he is learning about adulthood.
For he works in the darkest hole, called a mine.
He stays there long hours, not seeing the sun.
He is eaten by the tiniest, darkest hole,
to light explosives.
Sometimes, his co-workers, who are just children and yet adults
do not make it, because the darkness eats them.
He has learned, what it is like to see people die,
and tries his best to cope with the loss.

3. Cash 3
Just look at him:
exhausted, hopeless,
Why has he traded his childhood to the devil?
He has traded his childhood of swimming in the lake,
and drawing with chalk, because he has to help support his family;
for they live in fear of losing the house,
and not having enough money to buy food.
Sometimes they do go to bed, with a monster in their stomachs.
Plus, there is no law to ban this trade with the devil.
Hopefully, one day the devil will be stopped,
so that children can have a childhood of playing in the woods,
swimming in the lake, fishing, and drawing with chalk,
instead of working in mines.