From the desk of Sean Lanksbury. PNW & Special Collections Librarian

Today being Valentine’s Day, your thoughts might float off on wings of poesy.  You might even wish you had a good line or two of local poetry to quote.  Well, the Pacific Northwest has long been renowned for its lyric lineage, from Ella Higginson (whose ‘The Opal Sea’ appears below) through celebrity poets, such as Theodore Roethke and Carolyn Kizer, to our current Washington State Poet Laureate, Kathleen Flenniken.

To help you in your quest, the Washington State Library collects a great amount of Pacific Northwest poetry to whet your bardic blade (okay, I promise to stop alliterating now), whether you wish to glean inspiration or just get lost in the play of words.  Perhaps you will even recite one aloud to your loved ones.

To browse away just begin searching in the Washington State Library Catalog by the Poet’s name (last, then first name) or by the subject “Poetry” within the Northwest Collection.  In the meantime, enjoy this classic by one of Washington State’s earliest poets.

By Ella Higginson

Do they catalog their pantries,
do they alphabetize the soup,
and make labels for the kitchen shelves
and arrange vegetables into groups?

Or perhaps it’s to the closets,
their attention they might turn…
and transform their wardrobe chaos
using skills they long ago learned.

No shirt will be uncatalogued,
No dress shall lack a space,
their undies, socks and ties will all,
have a Dewey inspired place.

Then of course there is the attic,
with items saved, set aside and hoarded,
the photos, knick-knacks, and sundries,
of course… must all be sorted.

But when these tasks are finished
and to leisure the bibliophile looks
The pot of gold, is their long amassed,
patiently awaited…
greatly anticipated…
glorious stack of unread books!

Lyla Brekke
Sept. 10, 2009