Valentines: “Ode to my new name” by Séamus Isaac Fey

Ode to my new name

Of Celtic origin, meaning supplanter. 
The Irish version of James. I’ve taken 
the traditional spelling: S-é-a-m-u-s. 
Accent on the é. There’s a phonetic 
spelling alternative, S-h-a-m-u-s, 

but it doesn’t belong to me. 
Séamus— hardly anyone knows 
how to say it on the first try, 
like no one knows how to take care 
of an orchid, of which I have 

fourteen. My favorite mispronunciation 
is Sea-mus, which makes me 
sound like a pirate. A real scallywag. 
The name came with the nickname 
Shay. Or, if you wanted, Shame. 

For years, I’d say what my work 
really needed was more shame. 
That everything I read and reread 
came from an ocean of shame. 
O’ Shame, missing link. Welcome. 
Wherever I go, goes Shame. Goes Sea. 

This poem was commissioned by the Minor Aesthetics Lab and written during the inaugural Sue Divan Almuni Artist Residency in Theatre at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

About Séamus Isaac Fey

Séamus Isaac Fey (he/they) is a Trans writer from Chicago. Currently, he is the poetry editor at Hooligan Magazine, and co creative director at Rock Pocket Productions. His debut poetry collection, decompose, is out with Not a Cult Media. He has an essay forthcoming in Dopamine Press’ WITCH anthology, edited by Michelle Tea. His work has appeared in American Poetry Review, Poet Lore, The Offing, Sonora Review, and others. He loves to beat his friends at Mario Party. Find him online @sfeycreates.