In the Heart of Appalachia

In the heart of Appalachia 
are a people
Stigmatized and down trodden 
honestly forgotten
they will invite you over for Sunday dinner
Their hospitality unrivaled
they will tell you this history of their people
From the great rivalries to its famous people

They take pride in the work they do 
cause their momma's taught them so
and their papas would make it so
Looking for black gold deep within the earth
to make rich men richer
just so bread can be put upon the table

Thats how its remembered 
now days people will say 
that the younger generations have grown soft; muscles weak 
not worked hard enough
that family values no longer mean a thing

Yet in turn its the rotten world poisoning these men and women causing them a pain unlike any other
the worlds' resounding silence in our suffering 
that makes parents tell their children they'll amount to nothing
As our mines run dry and forests cut thin.

Empty promises are made by even richer men promoting to bring back 
jobs from the dead to save our state to make us all rich
but too little to late
no ones coming to save our state

Were in a state of decay slowly rotting from the inside out
In the heart of Appalachia
Copyright © | Year Posted 2021

Poem

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Hankins Avatar
August 31, 2021 at 8:49 AM
Ezra, being from WV, I really enjoyed your poem. I could relate to many of the feelings and emotions of which you wrote. Keep writing, friend. See Soup Mail.
Hankins Avatar
August 31, 2021 at 11:23 AM
It's a wonderful piece of writing, Ezra. Again, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Cook Avatar
August 31, 2021 at 9:23 AM
Thank you, so much for all your advice. I truly appreciate it. Ive been wanting to do more Appalachian themed work. this means the world that another West Virginian likes this.
Cook Avatar
August 31, 2021 at 8:00 AM
Still a work in progress
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