Fallen Leaf
I stand on a land that isn’t mine.
I sing for an anthem that once excluded me.
Who are the sons?
What did they command?
I tell you this through a poem.
Although, I should be listening to those who came before me.
For I am not native to this land.
Born here, yes, but not a right, a privilege as a place to rest.
I kneel and touch the ground.
The soil whispers engrained stories.
Heavy, I look to the sky.
O’Canada!
A red leaf falls into my open hands.
Dry and wet, I examine its veins and trace them like rivers.
Spirits alive, tangled hearts we rise.
Category Archives: Poetry
The Complex Coyote
The Complex Coyote
The Complex Coyote comes out of hiding between 6 and 8 am.
He walks alone on the edges of the streets, in between each row of townhomes.
The Complex Coyote peers into windows making funny faces and impressions of the people inside.
When discovered he snarls and bounces away down the street.
A very Complex Coyote indeed.He Loves Me Not
He Loves Me Not
The daisy, picked apart.
He loves me!
He loves me not?
Inside is all that remains,
Torn apart from the pretty petals.
Disregarded in the wind,
My wish carried away.
He loves me not.
If Audrey Hepburn was a Punk Rocker
If Audrey Hepburn was a Punk Rocker
An apartment full of boxes, nothing unpacked.
A nameless cat, Cat.
In NYC yellow cabs.
And Tiffany's.
If Audrey Hepburn was a punk rocker
she would unpack the Cracker Jack, wear it on a chain.
Dye her hair, stripes, thick bold, insane.
She would play loud music,
so loud, the neighbours would complain.
Rip on her guitar, Fred darling, Paul baby, George,
Playmates in her game.
Together they would rob a variety store,
with a dog and cat mask;
Audrey that punk rocker.
What a bad ass!
But when it came to true love,
Audrey didn’t know what to do.
A bona fide punk rocker,
Audrey would just get his name in the form of a tattoo.
Kiss the Cod
Kiss the Cod
I plugged the hole with my bright red wellies,
The water kept pouring in.
My boat leaked, waves beating from the sea,
I prayed for the eye of the storm.
Still, the sun broke.
An eye winked above,
Its giant lashes combed my back and seated me in the dory.
Calm, relaxed, I started to paddle ashore.
I could see the clouds travelling
The eye following,
Keeping watch.
A smile, rippling with each passing row.
Smack!
The smile faded.
Did I hit a rock?
Had I landed on the shore?
A giant flipper rose.
Stern, a mermaid was staring back at me.
She braided her hair and tossed it over her shoulder toward me.
I reached and tied it in.
She whipped her tail and flipped over.
Capsized,
I swam face to face with the mermaid underwater.
I could see the sky in her eyes.
She reached out her hand and stole my tear,
Held in her palm, admired its sparkle.
Then with one soft breath, she blew it into the ocean.
Bubbles, bursting, came fast toward me.
The mermaid disappeared into the darkness.
A bubble circled and carried forward.
On the surface, clinging to the side of the broken dory
The fog lifted,
And a cod came by to say hi.
“Character is everything,” he whispered.
“Shut up, Cod and kiss me.”
“By, you’re a real Newfie.”
Salty and sweet.
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