HillShadow
Appalachian Mountains do not just refer to a place but a state of mind. They represent the daily tension between the hope of what lies beyond the peaks and the reality of where we live in the valley where horizons are so limited. This existential blindness is perhaps the theme of HillShadow, my collection of poetry and photography based on the book of I Samuel. And I tend to think the theme is one of many that ties in well with the running drama depicted in the ancient biblical narrative.
We want and we strive for what we cannot see. When we look back from the summit of our lives, only the highlights are visible, the great events both good and bad. While going through these experiences we were most likely unable to identify their boundaries, their starting and ending points, or their significance.
HillShadow
Time is measured by the peaks;
the backlit sun all at once speaks.
But here our plodding, muddled wills
live in the shadow of the hills.
Appalachian Mountains also represent, in my view, the struggle of the individual against the collective. This is the region tamed by the indomitable Scots-Irish settlers (and others), the archetypes of American frontiersman, violent instigators and contributors to revolution. Yet it is a region historically exploited by collectivist institutions: unions, the War on Poverty, giant corporations and utilities, and cronyism. The paradox of the mountains is a people so utterly individualistic, yet so enslaved.
This fight is a part of the greater struggle against death. One experiences dying as an individual, not as a collective. So to bury one’s identity within the collective is essentially to die.
This site is designed to address these issues and comments or questions that arise from the poems contained in the book. It is also a place for me to spout off about other things. HillShadow is currently only available through my website at www.kennerbeckley.com. You can explore the photos and sample poems there as well.
Kenner Beckley