All the poet can do today is warn. That is why true poets must be truthful. -Wilfried Owen What a month it has been. We may dedicate one month to celebrating poets and poetry, but for poets, as Mary Oliver puts it, “poetry is a way of life.” What does it mean for poetry toContinue reading “Poetry lives on”
Tag Archives: canlit
Navigating in November
October was a blaze of activity and flurry of leaves. For two weeks, my autumn consisted of frenzied walks through crowds. Of scrawling notes in the dark and tweeting between speeches. Of conversations and interviews. Of hosting authors and sitting on backstage steps to hear them speak. Of signed books and signing books. OfContinue reading “Navigating in November”
Late Summer Lessons
August. A month of transition. A month of humid, hazy days, late night thunderstorms, and the whisper of autumn around the corner. We’re soaking up every ounce of sunlight we can– dipping our warm bodies into cool lakes and sparkling pools, fanning ourselves on our decks and porches, filling and refilling glasses ofContinue reading “Late Summer Lessons”
Manifesting in May
National Poetry Month was a busy one– filled with writing workshops, performances, collaborations, and new poems. In my workshop, “Road Maps to the Heart” I encouraged participants to explore the terrain of their own hearts, and they created their own (stunning!) heart maps. I also spent quite a bit of time working on ghazals for TheContinue reading “Manifesting in May”
The Ghazal Project: Week Three & Four
The Ghazal Project: Week Three & Four The Ghazal Project, my ambitious write-one-ghazal-a-week project, was going quite well until the third week. I found out that one of my first poetry mentors, Rishma Dunlop, passed away, and I couldn’t bring myself to write a ghazal. I tried, but the words didn’t hold the weight thatContinue reading “The Ghazal Project: Week Three & Four”
The Ghazal Project: Week Two
This week’s prompt was “What does spring taste like”, and wow, did I get some delicious responses! From ‘black coffee’ to ‘ ice melting into a mountain stream’, the poetic possibilities were endless. And yet, I had to pick only one. Lemon, mint and ginger. Healing that stings and soothes. It reminds me ofContinue reading “The Ghazal Project: Week Two”
The Ghazal Project: Week One
Well, this was a challenging one folks, seeing as how it’s been snowing on and off this week, and my ghazal prompts are all about….spring. My first prompt was a question, “If spring had a colour, it would be…” (Feel free to use this prompt for a writing exercise/journal prompt) I had some unique,Continue reading “The Ghazal Project: Week One”
Alliterating in April
New beginnings, fresh sheets of paper, unused ink, words yet to be written, seeds waiting to be scattered, blooms in the heart. National Poetry Month is a month for poets to come out of hiding— out of stuffy libraries, out of book-riddled bedrooms, out of tiny offices. It’s when we gather over cups ofContinue reading “Alliterating in April”
The Comforts of Autumn
October is the month when we turn the corner. Days become shorter, the breeze has a bite to it, and we stay curled up in bed a little bit longer. In September, we are still holding onto summer days and warmer evenings. In October, the fiery leaves remind us to embrace change. Leaves fall withoutContinue reading “The Comforts of Autumn”
Firesmoke
Poems require reading to stay alive. They require palms to enclose them in & pockets to keep them safe. Open your palms and empty your pockets. These poems are waiting for you.
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