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Erin Beck
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Dear west virginia

​West Virginia,
I have to write something for you for your birthday, even though I don’t want to
I’ve written you so many love songs
Those were a beating inside my chest that had to get out
Those were songs that had to be sung,
Those were thoughts that had to be spoken out loud
Those were words I had to let cross my tongue
I sang you a lullaby, and 
I would sing myself a lullaby 
West Virginia, I don’t want to sing to you anymore.
But you are bleeding and you are broken West Virginia, and I can’t
Ignore anyone hurting, especially on their birthday
So dear West Virginia
I will not tell you to get better, because I know you are trying.
My mother told me that “everyone tries to do the best they can in the situation they’re in,” 
and I believe her, because I have to.
So I know that you’re trying,
But your songs are no longer poems I have to let out
They are a dull ache in my chest
They are screaming in the back of my head
They are blood slowly dripping,
They are all the reasons why left unsaid 
West Virginia,
I have to write something for you for your birthday, even though I don’t want to
So I will tell you about the love songs, about how your mountains would swallow me home, and you would sing me to sleep
Those songs were a beating inside my chest that had to get out, those were poems that had to be sung, those were reasons that had to be spoken out loud, words I had to let cross my tongue
I’ve written you so many love songs
Dear West Virginia,
I will not tell you to get better, because I know you are trying
When I sang you a lullaby 
I sang myself a lullaby 
Picture
Photo by Perry bennett
Picture
Photo by Peter Schreve

Hollers and Hollow Bones Poetry

Hope

Hope is a black-winged bird

​Monsters

For Emmaleigh

Bullets

For Pulse

Dear West Virginia

I have to write something for you for your birthday, even though I don't want to 
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