Tag: poem
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Autumn Parish
We walk a route on streets we name and know,past gardens tucked and put to winter’s bed,through brilliant leaves that dance and drift aglowand carpet now the homeward path we tread.The time and space of life thus circumscribed,we live our span as strength and health allowbut chafe at limit strict these years implyand wish our…
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Sonnet 1 – Billings Lake
Retreating glaciers carved the earth below,to leave a quilt of lakes upon the land,where winding threads of river shining flow,and birch and elm and pine take up their stand.Canoe, our passage in this ancient world,On bright-eyed morn, the water dark and glass,Wood paddle stroke creates a gentle swirl,The sunrise, pink orange blue, on surface cast.The…
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Advent Crows – a poem
Advent Crows Cawing, keening crowsloud overhead on the bike path;inky silhouetted flockagainst deep indigo sky,twilight of Advent. Lift, turbulence, beating wings;cacophony in whorled airbecome, somehow, invitation toenvelopment in mad feathered flight,toward hidden social roost. Memory of Colville’s Seven Crowsgliding in captured stillnesstoward some opaque future,encircled viewer drawnforward in uncertain landscape, or foreboding of Cyclist and…
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Telling the truth about our lives #Bach #Zagajewski
My latest column in the Christian Courier. ______________________ Some years ago, I was introduced to a remarkable piece of music composed by JS Bach—the fifth movement of his Partita in D minor for solo violin (called the Chaconne). As with so many of Bach’s works, the Chaconne easily captures your heart; it has a way…
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Advent Psalm (126)
Advent Psalm (126) Weary and sleepless, caught off guard by racing pulse, panic, vertigo; rare reprieve to breathe, palpable lostness. Heading for home, down old Highway 6 through tears, Aberfoyle, Puslinch, Clappison’s Corners, steering south on automatic pilot, college kid’s stick-shift Jetta. Over Skyway Bridge, past belching steelwork ugliness, along escarpment’s familiar lines; angled off-ramp…
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New poem: “Geometry of Advent”
A new poem for the second Sunday of Advent (2017): And here is the poem within an alternative geometry (click on the poem/image to open it in a more readable format):
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Northern Advent (poem)
Northern Advent Scattered desiccated leaves cling to branches against autumn’s churning winds, resisting deciduous barrenness, new coloured prominence of Red Pine, Juniper, Hemlock. Feathered, long-distant migrants soar, flit, and fly from greyed terrain for southern home and habitat; wintering chickadees cache seeds in creviced bark for hunger’s moment. Poet’s romantic autumnal landscape lost on those…
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scars – a poem
A poem referencing the Gospel lectionary passage for this coming Sunday. John 20:19-31. Scars Running blind ‘round a corner, Robber to a cop in hot pursuit, Forehead meets half-opened door; Pain, dizziness, trickle of blood. Childhood memory is borne in the body, Fibrous tissues heralding past pain, Scar as locus of life’s hurt and healing.…
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poem for palm sunday
PALM SUNDAY hymn Time-pressed sedimentary, igneous, metamorphic rocks Burst with anticipation that, human voices stayed, Their moment of unlocked eloquence and Soaring speech might finally arrive. But vocal chords reverberate with ancient choruses, Embodying praise for earth divinely imagined, given, Gathering sentiments of quartz, kingfisher and crocodile: Hosanna! King! Saviour! recoil Impossible words,…
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Night Running (a new poem) #NDG
NIGHT RUNNING Rhythmic stride and drumming feet as dark descends on west-end street; cicadas drone through August night, humid air stays fullest flight. Windows cranked to widest aperture, invite a breeze to ease the temperature; glistening brows and clammy skin beg hint of breath, reprieve to win. Floodlit bocce at Layton Park, murmured conversation against…
encrusted words 