Welcome to Poetically Yours. Poetically Yours showcases poems by northern Illinois poets. Today’s featured poet is James Morehead.
Morehead is Poet Laureate of Dublin, California. He has two poetry books "canvas: poems” his debut collection and “portraits of red and gray.” He is also the host of the Viewless Wings Poetry Podcast. James' poem "tethered" was transformed into an award-winning, hand drawn animated short film, "gallery. This was set to music for baritone and piano. Some of his poems have appeared in Wingless Dreamer, Prometheus Dreaming and Prompt Press. Morehead was recently featured on the Poetically Yours extended podcast. Here's his poem "An inbox of bloom."
I'm sending you these lilacs,
bound in tufts, one hundred petals
bursting outwards
to paint your inbox purple.
To calm your senses— lavender,
each flowering stem so rich in scent
to fill the air, luxurious.
Breathe deeply now. Just breathe.
Of course a rose, a rose of course,
for beauty and perfection.
A bouquet? Perhaps, or simply one,
protected by a staff of thorns.
Look inside and you will find
some tulip bulbs from far away.
(The Netherlands, where they stayed,
safely stored awaiting Spring.)
Hidden deep among these blooms
you'll find a clutch of wildflowers.
Each one given a distinct name:
fiddleneck, primrose and yarrow.
And finally, in this bouquet,
an orchid with its labellum—
regal, ever on display,
to rule the others through the day.
- Yvonne Boose is a current corps member for Report for America, an initiative of the GroundTruth Project. It's a national service program that places talented journalists in local newsrooms like WNIJ. You can learn more about Report for America at wnij.org.