The Lousypoet

Time turns her head.
Will she shed any tears for
this rut of existence?

Enslaved by a history written by
the man with the sword,
the man with the cannon,
the man with the gun,
the man with the bomb.

The dance of circles
never ending cycles of despair.

Who will break the cycle?
the person with the vision,
the person with the courage,
the person with the passion,
the person with the conviction.

A story to be written,
a fate not yet etched.
Determine the outcome

So I find myself on the fence in regards to the Olympics. Following Twitter and friends on Facebook, you’d think Canada had found the cure for cancer during the opening ceremonies. Sentiments such as, “I’ve never been prouder to be Canadian” were fairly common. Though I did get a laugh out of the few people who pointed out the particularly phallic nature of the large ice sculptures.

Similar sentiments of national pride erupted when Alexandre Bilodeau won the first Canadian gold medal on native soil.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand feelings of national pride. I’ve even felt similar feelings as I’ve watched the Canadian Women’s Hockey Team destroy every team they’ve faced. But there needs to be some perspective here. Being proud of your countrymen and their accomplishments is admirable. Being proud that we are hosting these games and that in spite of Mother Nature’s lack of cooperation, the events are still taking place is a perfectly fine feeling. But to have these games and any of their results be a source of your greatest sense of pride in your country? That seems to ignore the numerous accomplishments this young nation has managed.

When I first saw the poem by Shane Koyczan performed at the Olympic opening ceremonies, I had what is probably the typical Canadian response, which was, “should we really be bragging?” But after the outpouring of national pride over medals, I gave this poem a closer listen. I realised, that this is in so many ways why we should be proud. And does the poem contain a single “proudest moment?” No. Which is as it should be. No nation, not one that seeks to grow, learn, explore, and be more than it was yesterday, should have any one proudest moment. It should have a string of events and accomplishments that weave a tapestry of pride and joy.

You know what makes me proud when I watch the Olympics? That the stands are filled with people wearing Canadian flags, who shout and cheer when our nation does well, and all of them are different colours, ethnicities and backgrounds. It is a testament to our nation’s ability to take the numerous and disparate and create a country united. We don’t always get things right, and there’s always going to be someone that has to ruin the party, but in general, we are making strides that the world as a whole is failing at. In most major Canadian cities, there are Mosques, Christian churches, Synagogues, Hindu temples and all other manner of religious houses, all within walking distance. Do we have jihads every day? No. So if Canada can make it work on a local scale, perhaps there is hope for an international model.

The Olympic Games are just that, games. Whether we win or lose, means nothing to the greatness of our nation, or the superiority or inferiority of any other nation. There is skill, but there is also luck involved. Be proud when the home town team is doing well, but when they lose, admit that we got beat fair and move on with life. Don’t forget that pride though, because there are so many other things to attach it to; accomplishments realised and in progress that deserve to ignite our patriotic flame. Canadians do patriotism so badly. We really need to work on that….

The King sat upon the throne,
Benevolent, Melevolent,
Dependant upon the day

Smell the fumes
See the vapours
Hear the engines
Taste the grit
Dream electric

As children we are giants,
straddling the world with impunity,
immunity, immortality.

The playground is our kingdom.
A place of wonder,
speed and gleeful terror.

A swing is capable of
reaching to the clouds.

The slide is a mighty
mountain for us to climb.

The backdrop to
our first hesitant steps
of romance.

A first kiss,
engraved initials.

Then it rusts,
fades.
We turn our backs
and reality crashes in.

The Silent Guardian waits.
Weary, wary.
The songs of the dead
are for his ears alone.

A heavy burden,
borne with dignity.
An unenviable duty,
shouldered bravely.

Yawn wide world,
let the silent symphony continue.
Pleasure to angels,
unnoticed by men.

Someone posted this on facebook. It’s the recitation of a poem. Sit through the whole thing. Such an amazing demonstration of how the bleak can become the optimistic!

Brick Books is a Canadian Publisher of poetry written by Canadian citizens or landed immigrants. They publish only a limited number of new releases per year, but so far the books I’ve read from them have all been quality publications. I recently received their newsletter, and it contained a number of Canadian and US dates for their authors. I thought I would pass it along. You can learn more about Brick Books by visiting their website at http://www.brickbooks.ca/.

AND NOW ONTO THE DETAILS OF THE EVENTS FOR 2009 ACROSS THE COUNTRY – FROM NORTH AND WEST TO EAST:

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

Yellowknife

Wednesday, February 25 at 7 p.m.
Yellowknife Public Library
Centre Square Mall, 5022 – 49th Street
Second Floor

John Donlan will read from Spirit Engine and Monty Reid will read from The Luskville Reductions in Yellowknife on February 18. For more information, contact Melissa Legacy, Public Service Librarian at 867-920-5642 extension 3.

John and Monty will also be visiting Aurora College. More details to follow.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Victoria

Tuesday, January 20 at 7:30 pm
Open Space Arts Society
510 Fort St.

Open Word: Readings and Ideas, Open Space’s downtown literary series, features Toronto poet Sue Sinclair reading from her new collection Breaker (Brick 2008). Following the reading, Victoria oet Steven Price will interview Sue Sinclair.

Victoria

Wednesday, January 21 at 10:00 a.m.
University of Victoria
Clearihue Building, Room A306

Sue Sinclair will read from her new collection Breaker.

Salt Spring Island
Friday, January 23 at 8 p.m.
Art Spring
100 Jackson Avenue

Sue Sinclair will read from her new collection Breaker. Free admission.

Vancouver

Wednesday, January 28 at 5:30 p.m.
UBC Campus, Buchanan E476
1866 Main Mall

Sue Sinclair will read from her new collection Breaker. Free admission.

Victoria

Friday, February 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Black Stilt Coffee Lounge
1633 Hillside

Ottawa poet Monty Reid will read from his fourteenth book The Luskville Reductions. Planet Earth Poetry at Black Stilt Reading Series. For more information, please call 250-370-2077.

Victoria

Thursday, March 19 at 8:30 a.m.
University of Victoria

Randall Maggs will visit to Professor Jamie Dopp’s class in Contemporary Canadian Literature and read from Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems.

Victoria

Friday, March 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Black Stilt Coffee Lounge
1633 Hillside

Brenda Leifso and Randall Maggs will the featured authors reading at Planet Earth Poetry at Black Stilt Reading Series from their collections Daughters of Men and Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems. For more information, please call 250-370-2077.

Vancouver

Thursday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m.
UBC Bookstore on Robson Square

David O’Meara reads from Noble Gas, Penny Black.

ALBERTA

Edmonton

April 23 to April 26
Edmonton Poetry Festival

David O’Meara reads from Noble Gas, Penny Black. Details to follow.

MANITOBA

Winnipeg

Thursday, February 5 at 7:30 p.m.
Aqua Books
274 Garry Street (between Portage & Graham)

Barbara Klar reads from her collection Cypress. For more information call 204-943-7555

ONTARIO

Toronto

Tuesday, February 3 at 8:00 p.m.
Art Bar Reading Series
Clinton’s Tavern
693 Bloor Street West

Toronto – Barbara Klar reads from her collection Cypress with other featured authors Richard Sanger and Neal McLeod. Clinton’s Tavern is right by the Christie Subway Station.

Toronto

Tuesday, April 21 at 6:30 p.m.
TYPE Books
883 Queen Street West

Carolyn Smart will read from her new collection Hooked, seven poems.

Richmond Hill

Saturday, April 18 – afternoon
Richmond Hill Poetry Gala
Richmond Hill Public Library
1 Atkinson Street

Hosted by Barry Dempster with readings from Barry, Carolyn Smart, Steve McOrmond, Matthew Tierney, Lola Lemire Tostevin and Sue Sinclair

Kingston

Monday, April 6 from 7 to 9 p.m.
Marine Museum of the Great Lakes
55 Ontario Street

Carolyn Smart launches her new collection Hooked, seven poems.

Ottawa

Tuesday, January 27 at 7:30 p.m.
Tree Reading Series
Ottawa Arts Court (at the corner of Daly Avenue and Nicholas Street,
just across from the Rideau Centre.)

Barbara Klar reads from her collection Cypress.

Ottawa

Tuesday, February 10 at 7:30 p.m.
Tree Reading Series
Ottawa Arts Court (at the corner of Daly Avenue and Nicholas Street,
just across from the Rideau Centre.)

Karen Solie and David Seymour read from their collections Modern and Normal and Inter Alia.

Ottawa

Tuesday, February 24 at 7:30 p.m.
Tree Reading Series
Ottawa Arts Court (at the corner of Daly Avenue and Nicholas Street,
just across from the Rideau Centre.)

Brenda Leifso reads from her collection Daughters of Men.

Ottawa

Tuesday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Tree Reading Series
Ottawa Arts Court (at the corner of Daly Avenue and Nicholas Street,
just across from the Rideau Centre.)

Sue Sinclair will read from her collection Breaker.

QUEBEC

Montreal

Thursday, April 16 at 7 p.m.
Atwater Poetry Project
Atwater Library and Computer Centre
1200 Atwater Avenue

Carolyn Smart, Jan Conn, Barry Dempster and Sue Sinclair will read from their new collections Hooked, seven poems by Carolyn Smart, Botero’s Beautiful Horses by Jan Conn, Love Outlandish by Barry Dempster and Breaker by Sue Sinclair.

NEW BRUNSWICK

Fredericton

Wednesday, January 28 at 8 p.m.
University of New Brunswick
Alumni Memorial Lounge

Barbara Klar and Randy Maggs read from their collections Cypress and Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems. Sponsored by the Department of English, University Bookstore, Canada Council for the Arts and the League of Canadian Poets.

NOVA SCOTIA

Halifax

Thursday, January 29 at 7 p.m.
15th Annual Gallery Reading Series
Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery
Loyola Building
5865 Gorsebrook Ave.

Barbara Klar and Randy Maggs read from their collections Cypress and Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems. Sponsored by the Department of English, Canada Council for the Arts and the League of Canadian Poets.

UNITED STATES

MASSACHUSETTS

Boston

Tuesday, February 24 at 2 p.m.
Bridgewater State College

Randall Maggs will visit with Professors Andrew Holman and Dr. Maura Rosenthal and their classes and present his book Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems.

MICHIGAN

Detroit

Randall Maggs will read from his book Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems in the Detroit area. Details to be confirmed.

NEW YORK

Albany, New York

Wednesday, April 29

Evening reading at a local bookstore. Details will follow.

Carolyn Smart and Jan Conn will be reading from their new collections Hooked, seven poems by Carolyn Smart and Botero’s Beautiful Horses by Jan Conn.

New York City

Thursday, April 30 at 7 p.m.
McNally Jackson Books
52 Prince St. (between Lafayette & Mulberry)

Carolyn Smart and Jan Conn will be reading from their new collections Hooked, seven poems by Carolyn Smart and Botero’s Beautiful Horses by Jan Conn. Special guest is New York author Tom Sleigh.

Kingston, New York

Saturday, May 2

Reading at local bookstore. Details will follow.

Carolyn Smart and Jan Conn will be reading from their new collections Hooked, seven poems by Carolyn Smart and Botero’s Beautiful Horses by Jan Conn.

MASSACHUSETTS

Amherst

Sunday, May 3 – afternoon
Amherst Books
8 Main Street

Carolyn Smart and Jan Conn will be reading from their new collections Hooked, seven poems by Carolyn Smart and Botero’s Beautiful Horses by Jan Conn.

Lonely though you’re near
Distance widening further
My heart so silent

I don’t know why, but I’ve found Tarot cards very interesting for some time. I suppose I love the iconography associated with the images. Or maybe it’s a hidden interest in the occult. Whatever the reason, I find my self drawn to it.

So, as you can see with the previous entry, I’m writing some Tarot inspired poems. In a grand way, part of me hopes this will become a very interesting project, that maybe I will later collect and publish. But for now, it’s just a way to get the old creative juices flowing.

I had thought I would keep to a strict interpretation of the cards, but instead I think I will just write what inspiration the card provides, whether it is the meaning of the card, or as with The Fool, the imagery and what that says to me.