Woodcuts and Poetry: Origin of Oranges

Painter, James Erikson has put together a limited edition artist's book entitled "Origin of Oranges."
The elegant accordion style design contains collages and woodcuts, by Erikson, digitally scanned, reproduced and accompanied by poems by Daniel Hales, Amy Thatcher, Robin Stout and AJay McLaughlin.

James Erikson, Origin of Oranges #1, 2015, Woodcut

Who Waits Who Runs by Robin Stout

You say
I am too happy
to be a poet.

You, you ubiquitous
you.
Floating in and out,
in and out
of my poems
like clouds in a blue,
blue sky.

You say
my pain
is more frightened
lamb than wounded
lion.
That I am low
on ink.

And, besides
I don't dress
right.

That's what you know.

I am the guy on Atlantic
Avenue with apricot
hair. I am
the swollen
river, the fifteen-
dollar sandwich.

I am the woman
in head-to-toe
black on a coral
street.

I am the car
stuck
in traffic.

I am the dog
who waits
who runs
behind you
and sinks
yellow teeth
into the meatiest
part of your
thigh.

©2019 Robin Stout

A featured woodcut: James Erikson, Origin of Oranges #2, 2015, Woodcut, Gouache and Watercolor.

Pages featuring Who Waits Who Runs by Robin Stout

All images from the book Origin of Oranges ©2016 James Erikson