The Plague Doctor by James Morehead
You shared a photo last Halloween
chilled by a veil of fog
leather gloves stretched up and
tucked into a blue velvet overcoat
cut high to shield your neck in folds,
a bowler hat in rich black covering
blond hair with blood-soaked tendrils,
perhaps flowing out of the frame
or tied up in a knot
filling the rounded crown.
It is the mask I can’t shake.
Spectacles for the eyes and a beak filled
with dried flowers and spices–
lavendar-rose, mint-camphor,
musty sweet in decay
stuffed snug to dispel miasma
and plague-spreading smells
the wait in the shadows
for death to return.
Ink Drawing by Natalia Andrus
James Morehead is the Poet Laureate of Dublin, California, host of the Viewless Wings Poetry Podcast, and has published several collections of poetry including “canvas”, “portraits of red and gray”, and “The Plague Doctor.” James’ poem “tethered” was transformed into an award-winning hand drawn animated short film, “gallery” was set to music for baritone and piano, and his poems have appeared in the Ignatian Literary Magazine, Beyond Words Literary Magazine, 2nd Place – Oprelle Oxbow Poetry Contest 2022, Citron Review, Prometheus Dreaming, Cathexis Northwest Press, and other publications.
Social media accounts:
- Website: viewlesswings.com
- Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/viewlesswings
- YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ViewlessWings
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/viewlesswings
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/viewlesswingspress
- Threads: https://www.threads.net/@viewlesswings
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@viewlesswingspress
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Poet Laureate – Dublin, California
Author of canvas, portraits of red and gray, and The Plague Doctor
Host of the Viewless Wings Poetry Podcast
Founder of ViewlessWings.com
Mr. Morehead is also the author of “The Plague Doctor” which is an anthology of his most recent poems.
Beautiful art and poetry!