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Sunday, September 26, 2010

ISLAND CREEK, PIKE COUNTY

by Margaret Ricketts


Eric  has  been  devoutly  trying  to  break  his
neck  all  day,  as  if  one  more  photo  from
atop  the  frozen  waterfall  might  redeem
a  single  hickory  or  oak, flung
aside  on  the  stripped  mountain.
Dross.   Dredge.    

The  three  of  us  are  driving  back to  the  part  of
Kentucky not  scarped  barren  as  toast.
Eric  and  I   almost  let
ourselves   snarl  at  each other  over  the  CD’s. The  jokes,
the  terrible  jokes,   the  deathbed  jokes.  
David  is  bombarding  us  with  his  relentless
supply  of  fart  jokes,  the   mirth  in a  burning  
room.  I  want  alcohol,   plenty  of  it,  
bring  it  on.  We are a  knot  of
grief  and  guilt  and  rage  and  there  will
be  no  undrugged  sleep for  us tonight.


Author’s Note: On  Sept  25-  27  APPALACHIA RISING  is  coming  to  Washington  to  bring  a  small  problem  to  public  attention.  Five  hundred  of  the  Appalachian  mountains  have  been  blasted  away  for  coal.    If  you're  in  DC Monday,  you'll  never  think  of  hillbillies  the  same  way  again.
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Margaret    Ricketts  has  gotten  grants  from  the  Kentucky   Arts  Council  and  the  Kentucky  Foundation  for  Women.

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