Southeastern Kentucky

I live in a region of the United States where people are poor financially but rich in the beauty of nature. Unfortunately, the coal and lumber machines have destroyed this beauty for over a century. The wealth leaves the region leaving behind its horrendous footprint on the landscape and the people who remain. The trees and streams are resilient, but the bound people are bitter about the hopes these industries promised. The hopes linger in politicians’ lies and betrayals as darkness finds a life that permeates their perceptions of the future. The dark tattoo is etched on the generations that struggle to find dignity in a society that sees them as hateful and ignorant. There is no open space for them to grow, only the judgments that beat them down. There is no justice for them because their victimhood has no voice. They are genuinely unthought-about because they are the poorest of the poor.