Jacksonville Poet Laureate Reflects on Community Future During Bicentennial

Andy Mitchell, Jacksonville's poet laureate, brought a year of bicentennial writing to a close on December 27, 2025 with Epilogue, the final entry in a series that ran every other weekend in the Home and Life section and remains available at myjournalcourier.com. The poem frames a community at a transition, opening with the image that "We stand at the threshold Of our third century" and closing on an uncertain but shared future for those born and raised in the city.

Mitchell's work traced familiar choices for small city residents. The poem observes that "Many will stay, others will leave To live their lives elsewhere" and that some who left may return. Those themes were echoed in Mitchell's public comments about the project, when he said, "Writing this series of poems has been both a privilege and a challenge. I will miss its rewards, namely the feedback my fellow citizens have offered. Hearing them tell me they enjoyed reading my work and could relate to my experiences and memories has been gratifying." He also described his own path, noting he moved away for periods but that "the pull of the Midwest and family ties kept reeling me in."

The series has civic significance beyond literary value. Cultural programming tied to the bicentennial helps strengthen social networks that local governments and businesses rely on, and conversations about who stays and who leaves intersect with labor force supply, housing demand, and local consumer spending. Mitchell's experience of departure and return reflects patterns that influence school enrollment, workforce planning, and long term economic development strategies across Midwestern communities.

For Morgan County leaders the poems are a prompt to consider policies that affect residents decisions to stay, return, or relocate. Investments in amenities, stable employment opportunities, and community spaces can complement the sense of belonging Mitchell described and support the customer base for downtown businesses and the hospitality sector during future anniversaries and events.

Mitchell ended the year asking, "And what will become of it And those of us born and raised here, Only our next century will know." That question now sits with residents and policymakers as Jacksonville moves into its third century.