Long awaited new poetry chapbook - (c) Stephanie L. Morehead 2014

1. Breathe Into,
Inspire
By:
Stephanie
L.
Morehead

2. ©
Stephanie
L.
Morehead
2014
All
poetry
and
the
cover
art
is
copywritten.
Feel
free
to
share
the
book
with
others
if
you
are
so
compelled.
If
you
are
interested
in
using
any
of
the
work,
contact
me
for
permissions
at
smorehead@gmail.com.

3. Jonathan
Your
name
means,
“Gift
from
God.”
I
struggle
to
find
words
Proportionate
To
what
I
feel
for
you,
My
son.
I
don’t
think
you
will
ever
Fully
know
The
extent
to
which
You
are
adored.
But
know
this-­‐
I
will
protect
you
with
My
fiercest
fist,
The
pointiest
of
tongue
and
flame.
I
will
sacrifice
any
comfort
To
meet
your
needs…
Showers,
sleep.
I
will
come
running
when
You
cry
my
name,
Gather
you
in
my
arms
And
kiss
away
any
tear.
I
realize
now
that
All
these
lessons
kept
In
my
tool
chest
Have
been
to
parent
you,
My
dear.
My
hope
for
you
is
that
You
find
your
passion
And
hold
on
tight,
Surround
yourself
with
music
And
kindness…
And
try
not
to
become
a
poet
Like
your
Mommy.
Here
with
you
now,
I
watch
your
violet,

4. Wonder-­‐filled
eyes
Take
in
the
miracles
Of
this
world
As
you
begin
the
procession
Of
firsts.
I
know
you’re
in
a
hurry.
But
I
will
carry
you
for
a
time
In
my
arms,
On
my
back,
On
my
shoulders,
Here
on
and
in
my
chest.
And,
yes,
it
is
true
What
they
say:
You
will
never
know
how
much
You
can
love
and
fear
Until
you
are
a
parent.
I
think
I
understand
(kind
of)
The
love
God
so
had
for
The
world
To
give
us
His
son.
You,
my
love,
are
most
attracted
to
Light
Because
that
is
Exactly
Where
you
come
from…
You
are
My
gift
from
God,
Jonathan.

5. Baby's
breath
A
chorus
of
rain
drops
Speeding
cars
Wind
blown
branches
Are
our
lullaby
tonight
I
see
your
face
in
the
Night
light
Little
cherub
cheeks
Long
dark
lashes
Like
bird's
feathers
We
cuddle
under
a
blanket
Your
tiny
toes
on
my
back
Your
soft
breaths
Like
tiny
white
flower
buds
In
my
hair
Everything
Everything
Was
worth
it
To
get
me
to
now
To
get
me
to
you

6. Backyard
I
swing
from
a
vine
With
wisteria
Petals
A
contrast
Against
the
green
Sweet
is
the
scent
Smooth
is
the
stone
Etched
with
words
From
nature's
tongue
How
deep
do
Your
roots
Go?

7. Courtship
I
think
of
the
days
When
we
first
met
Two
lone
wolves
Drinking
red
wine
and
Sharing
dreams
Strolling
along
Cherry
blossoms
In
Vailsburg
Fire
signs
Ablaze
with
Ambition
Wiser
now
Intention
Beats
its
drum
In
our
soul
and
Loins
Our
fusion
is
Flesh
of
flesh
His
heartbeat
Is
our
heartbeat
Atonement

8. Family-­‐grown
I
don't
like
this
dimension
To
suffer
with
their
dementia
To
be
so
now...
I'd
take
a
bullet
for
a
Madwoman
But
don't
cross
My
little
boy
It's
almost
dusk
Smells
like
rain
and
grass
This
is
where
the
Lotus
blooms
Across
the
green
veins
Of
my
leafy
heart.
Will
you
hold
out
Your
branches
to
Embrace
me?
Hold
her
tight
in
Your
bud.
Little
clover
Lucky
charm
The
tattoo
on
My
soul
has
a
Button
nose
And
diaper
butt
I'm
no
hostage
in
My
woman's
mind
But
a
gardener
Of
poet's
verse
And
mother's
sense
Your
father
planted
The
seedling
of
you
In
the
deepest
field
Of
my
landscape
And
placed
his
heart
On
my
ring
finger
Family
is
grown
like
Sweet
berries

9. Harvest
of
jam
In
my
blood
For
all
of
time

10. Wedded
The
voice
awakes
Optimistically
cautious
Love
with
your
eyes
open
He
said
The
smile
of
my
first-­‐born
son
It
baptizes
me
I
stare
a
bee
down
She
buzzes
around
I
am
here
on
the
ground
Sowing
seeds
Tending
to
the
Wild
garden
within
A
promise
you
gave
Is
our
vow
to
speak
Trees
and
vines
I
poured
you
the
wine
The
earth
can
take
Herself
Back
Barefoot
in
the
puddles
Outside
seems
unreal
Come
alive
Magenta
peony
Your
promise
is
to
Bloom

11. Second
Story
Tender
sunshine
And
words
Long
alluded
me
Here
now
like
This
breeze
Red
maple
leaves
and
Freckled
shoulders
Tell
me
she
is
near
Cursive
writing
Lives
In
my
journal
And
pear
shape
I
live
among
The
treetops
My
Second
story

12. Pass
the
spark
I
see
my
son
Play
with
his
truck
On
the
floor
And
I
know,
I'm
where
I
need
to
be.
I
am
your
mommy
Forever
will
be.
Clap
your
hands
To
the
song
Jazz
and
rock
Rolling
The
paisley
Dances
on
the
rug
Your
toddler
eyes
See
everything
What
wonder
What
joy
Jonathan
Every
time
I
say
your
name
It's
a
prayer
Flashing
Blue
eyes
As
you
start
From
scratch
And
I,
on
another
one
Of
nine
lives.
Keep
an
ember
Burning
to
Remember
What
it
is
to
Pass
the
spark.

13. Lunacy
My
senses
come
undone
by
the
brilliance
of
the
moon.
Freedom
in
lunar
light
Nude
in
shadows
and
beams
Serene
as
a
dream.
These
nighttime
nuances
touch
the
nucleus
of
me.
Oh
evening
goddess,
Let
me
bathe
in
the
rise
and
fall
of
your
tides,
Swim
to
the
shores
on
your
side
of
the
cosmos,
Let
love
permeate
layers
of
skin,
fluid,
bone,
You
are
home.
I
am
whole
with
you
in
my
soul.
They
call
me
moonstruck,
The
daughter
of
Don
Quixote.
Saying
it’s
vagrancy
to
bask
in
nocturnal
complacency.
If
it’s
lunacy
then
straightjacket
me.
It
won’t
be
the
first
time.
Luna
liberates
me
from
my
mind’s
asylum.

14. Provincetown
Here
is
all
wild
grass,
Peonies,
Art
and
sand.
The
sweet
wedding
of
Nature
and
history
Gay
culture
Is
minister
of
The
ceremony
But,
This
place
is
Not
a
rainbow
I
saw
you
cast
Dirty
looks
at
me
When
we
walked
down
The
street
holding
hands…
Yea,
they
want
My
man
And,
You
want
me
out
I
noticed.
It’s
fine
‘cause
I’ll
take
Jersey.
God,
I’ll
take
New
York.
There
are
more
colors
there.
For
all
your
beauty,
I
still
saw
two
tampons
On
the
beach.
And,
Maybe
they
were
mine,
Perhaps
I
was
leaving
you
A
gift.

15. Sister
Women.
Women.
You’ve
hurt
me
More
than
men.
But
only,
only
Because
You
Are
More
Powerful
Than
them.
Frankly,
my
dear,
I
just
don’t
give
a
Damn,
Damn,
If
only
you
knew
That
Spirit
Shining
within…
Is
the
apple
From
the
Tree,
That
wisdom
Is
you.
It
doesn’t
fall
far.
Sister.
Sister.
Honor
One
another’s
Fruit
As
we
Go
forth
Down
This
orchard.
The
day
is
full
With
blessings,
Ripe
And
ready
To
be
picked.

16. Creativity
takes
courage.
-­‐Henri
Matisse
My
soul
is
on
fire
A
pool
of
golden
sparks
And
intent
A
sower
of
seeds
and
flames
Hand
reaching
over
a
mess
To
unleash
a
creative
beast
From
this
here
chest

17. Scratch
and
sniff
I
think
about
my
love...
How
blessed
I
am
to
Have
such
a
man.
And
you're
not
really
mine,
I
don't
possess
or
own
you,
But
you're
mine
anyway.
You're
mine
when
I
devour
you,
Drinking
in
your
nectar
and
spice,
The
musk
of
your
love.
I
want
to
bottle
up
your
scent.
Take
secret
whiffs
of
you
from
A
silver
flask
tucked
inside
my
pocket.

18. The conductor
I had a voice once.
I heard it,
Loud and scrappy,
Blaring out with
The fury of trumpets,
Poignant as a tambourine.
You came along with
Good intentions,
Raised a finger to
Your lips,
Hushing my
Belligerent symphony.
I tilt my head to the side
And listen.

19. Peony
One summer,
I was made a poet
You kissed my lips
Breathed music into me
The strings of a harp
Are fingered
Delicately
Like you'd play
A woman's body
The notes you hear
Are what cloves
And Japanese peony
Smell like,
Floating through
The atmosphere
There's only one
Frame of reference
God
I write in verse and prose
Standing here at a pivot
Staring down the crossroads