Gary’s on the very frontline
Of work safety in the coal mine;
From his perch in his cage,
He’s the gas level gauge
24/7, rain or shine.
In this case, the lines might be blurred
Between air sensor and songbird,
Except for the migraine
From CO or methane,
And the fact that his words are all slurred.
With consciousness fading, shouts he:
“My brothers, cease digging and flee!
“The site’s now hypoxic,
“Volatile or toxic,
“So, please evacuate swiftly.”
The canary is a sentinel species, according to Wikipedia, a creature “used to detect risks to humans by providing advance warning of a danger.” Verbatim entry: “The classic example is the “canary in the coal mine.” The idea of placing a warm-blooded animal in a mine to detect carbon monoxide was first proposed by John Scott Haldane in 1895 […] Well into the 20th century, coal miners brought canaries into coal mines as an early-warning signal for toxic gases, primarily carbon monoxide, [but also hydrogen sulfide and methane]. The birds, being more sensitive, would become sick before the miners, who would then have a chance to escape or put on protective respirators.” CO stands for carbon monoxide, the “main, most toxic constituent” in whitedamp, the “noxious mixture of gases formed by the combustion of coal, usually in an enclosed environment such as a coal mine.” Hydrogen sulfide, or stinkdamp, may also be present.
