A polished piece of Floyd County coal
Hangs on a silver chain around my neck
Holding home beside my heart

In my mind, runs a litany –
The names of her counties
    Her rivers
        Her towns
            Her mountains and lakes
                Her flaws and her furies

Like cool glass marbles, the sound of her rolls of my tongue –
Blurring consonants and swallowing vowels
A glimmer of hills and a flicker of ancient tongues in my voice

Love rests deep in my bones, at the core of my being
Pulling at my marrow and my mind when I’m away

I wake in the night
Hungry for home

I pine when we are separated,
Unable to breathe properly,
My feet aching to be planted in her dark soil

She is part of me

I am of her

I will love her while I live
And rest easy in her arms when I die