Welcome to Poetically Yours. Poetically Yours showcases poems written by northern Illinois poets. This week's poet is Voltavelle.
The series showcases poems written by northern Illinois poets. This week's poet is Voltavelle.
Voltavelle, the poet's artist name, was born and raised in Rockford. In addition to writing poetry, she also writes songs and is a filmmaker. Her work was featured in The Rockford Anthology, which was released last year. This poem is titled "The Bones."
Forgive me, Heartland
for I have undressed you in my mind,
laid my weary body
in the flush of your bed,
and surrendered
to your unholy geometries,
your empires of rust,
your verdant pelagic
undrinkable to me
Ran my fingers through
your cathedrals of herbicide
your seductions of dust
your alien symmetries of harrowed silt
so stark and artless,
though only to the undreaming eye
I've stood, shadowless
beneath your gaping sky,
and let myself be subsumed
by your long wounds of aching light
I've sighed in awe
at your canvas-flat
resurrections of spring
your bathetic horizons unbending,
your pinstripe roads piercing
potholes through my heart
your vacant interstices, holy
as the forgotten middle child
and I'm afraid I've made a kingdom
inside your bare walls -
so take me home, Heartland
I belong between the bones
Voltavelle
Copy Edited by Eryn Lent
