A monster lived atop the hill revered by all round,
and every day men fed it well with minerals from the ground.
Each man worked hard and in return, the monster would disgorge,
the contents of its bowels which men could sell or use to forge.
For many years the beast and man shared bounty from the ground,
and families grew, and young men knew, their future here was sound.
and even though the monster caused a stain upon the land,
the stains would pass unnoticed when it meant cash in your hand.
The town grew strong and prospered and the men were joined by more,
who also learned to feed the monsters bowels as they poured.
Across the land the people heard of what these men could do
and orders came from far and wide to buy the monsters brew.
Yet some times man would lose respect and feel the monster’s bite
and sometimes man would come off worse and sometimes lose his life.
But deaths were few and all men knew the price they had to pay
if homage wasn’t paid unto the monster every day.
And on and on o’er many years the monster shared its life,
until one day a message came which caused the men great strife.
Some faceless fools from lands afar decreed the monster’s death,
“he’ll feed no more for monsters overseas will eat far less.”
So men in tears, whom through the years, had tended to the beast
must watch in awe, the monsters fall, and imports from the East.
And now it’s gone except a few sad objects sat in grime,
like trophies from a monster slain, long dead before its time.
Well nearly 40 years have passed, how fares this fruitful land?
Did the future give them worthwhile work or abandoned idle hands.
Alas I see though hard they tried, no monsters are in sight,
no graft for men to raise their brood no end of tunnel light
Abandoned by the powers that be and paid for by the state
once proud men sit idly by, and curse their sorry fate
and in their twilight years think back to Consett as it was
but when asked why the monsters gone, they shrug and say, “Because”