My Allegiance

By Jordan Daniel

I pledge allegiance to the deep, shaded hills of Martin County.

Where long ago my ancestors settled up in a dark holler

Living in solitude, making a new life for themselves

Away from the prying eyes of most.

That’s where William planted his roots, in the bottom land at the foot of the hill.

And on that hill, water springs from the earth and trickles into the slow running creek

That winds down and sustains crops

And takes care of the rest of the people in the holler

I pledge allegiance to that spring that kept my family for generations.

And to the mountains themselves.

The guardians of my childhood. They stood solemnly watching me grow up. listening to all the kids around me play. they Protected us and our stories.

I pledge allegiance to Route 40, and the bus route I took every morning to school and every evening back home.

To the countless memories I made with people all around me.

To the people who actually tried. Those people of Inez, Warfield, Beauty, and Lovely. A lot of them toostubborn and stuck in their ways to try anything new or listen to what the younger generation says. But they work hard and fight harder.

I pledge allegiance to those I love who have not gotten to see me and where I am today. My Grandma Mavis, who believed in me and made me promise to make something of myself. and to my other Grandma Teresa, who sang her heart out every time she went to church. Holding my arm as she belted out her praises to God above.

I pledge allegiance to the sun in the summer sky, lighting up my heart and allowing me to get out and do everything I love.

Fishing, hiking, and telling stories in the evening.

To the ability I have to go out and walk in the woods. Listening to the birds chirping up on the hills that rise all around me.

I pledge allegiance to Dewey Lake, Yatesville Lake, Paintsville Lake, and Milo Lake. For not only the fish I caught, but the fond memories of a happy family that forgot what their problems were, even if it was for only a little while.

I pledge allegiance to my family dog, my best friend, Mac, as he’s kept me company in the darkest times and the brightest.

I pledge allegiance to public libraries and people wishing for good medical insurance.

And to the mentors, teachers, and professors who genuinely care about their job and the betterment of people who follow their guidance.

I also pledge my allegiance to the people of Appalachia.

I pledge allegiance to banjo pickers and square dancers. To shotgun weddings and the belief that Mothman might exist up in our hills somewhere.

I pledge allegiance to those who encouraged my writing, allowing me a path through many of life’s difficulties.

I also pledge my allegiance to Berea College for giving me an opportunity I never believed I would have. To my friends whom I met along the way

To Brushy Fork and The Pinnacles. To the koi pond behind Draper, and the labyrinth by the library.

I pledge allegiance to the squirrels running so free on the branches and trunks of the trees on campus and to the constant sounding of a siren in the distance, no matter the time of day.

I pledge allegiance to spoonbread and folk music

I pledge allegiance to liberal arts education. Math, Science, Foreign Languages, English, General Studies and Appalachian. History and Creative Writing, political science and law. Soak all the information up or let it pass by like the slow-running creek up my holler.

I pledge allegiance to those back home who were left behind. To those who suffer at the hands of the last century of exploitation. From mining to opioids.

To Roots ripped up and moved across the country.

I pledge allegiance to those who stayed and are trying so hard to fix the problems back home. to those who are doing everything they can to get sober

and to all those who continue moving Appalachia forward.

To those who work tirelessly to refurbish and rebuild

Trails, mines, bald hills, and water systems built by centuries of exploitation and worn away by decades of neglect

I pledge allegiance to the family land up Wooten Road lost to generations of infighting and confusion

And to the families lost to pains and vices outside of their control.

I pledge allegiance to the future, to believing in the good of humanity and to the world of which I am but a microscopic citizen with every other person and critter that calls our rock home.

I pledge allegiance to doing what is right, and standing firm against what is wrong. To standing by my faithful word under God and denying hate in any capacity.

I pledge Allegiance to living and loving freely

and to the pursuit of leaving the world better than I happened to find it.