An explosion in the Sago coal mine occurred on January 2, 2006
in Tallmansville, West Virginia that resulted in the deaths of 12
miners. Thirteen coal miners were trapped at about 6:30 am.
Forty-one hours later rescuers erroneously reported that 11 of the
miners had survived. The rejoicing went on for three hours before
the families were finally told of the mistake. In this song I try to
express the agony those families experienced and the eternal
truth expressed in a note one of the miners left before he died.
The note read, “Tell all, I see them on the other side”.
The Sago Note
©2006 Patti Clark Barnett
“Tell them I will see them
All on the other side”
He wrote a note to tell us
That he loved us when he died
He knew we were waiting
And the pain would be too deep
So he assured us that it “wasn’t bad”
And he “just went to sleep”
Did he know that we all thought
They were alive and all was well
Did they hear the Hallelujahs
And the ringing of church bells
When our joy turned into sorrow,
Their new life had begun
On earth no equal for our pain,
Beyond, I think of one
Chorus:
It’s like making it to Heaven
Just to be turned away
With one glimpse into forever
On that final Judgment Day
To hear, “I never knew you
Depart from me forevermore”
To be locked out on the wrong side
On this side of Heavens door
This thought brought me to myself again
I fell down on my knees
Thanking God for grace sufficient
In this time of grief
Though my loss is great
And I may never understand just why
I know that I will see him there
In Heaven when I die
And I’ll be making it to Heaven
I won’t be turned away
My name was written in the “Book of Life”
One high school summer day
When Jesus came into my heart
He made for me a way
To know I’d be there with Him
In Heaven some sweet day
“Tell them I will see them
All on the other side”