Orphaned

They sent my father to the mines, to dig coal, to serve a sentence
We were told he'd spoken wrongly about the Czar, and punished
Sent to Siberia, to suffer, to work until he was no longer able
And then would no longer live, nor ever come back
Mother and Babushka tried to raise us, but they got sick
We were told that they had TB, and quickly died
No one bothered to check upon us, we were just orphans
Never understood why some eat well, but we were worthless
And the worthless bury their own parents, hoping to beg scraps
We knew winter took no pleas for mercy, and was coming soon
So we chose to face it with no hope, and pray for some miracles
Accepting our fate, whatever it might become