On Christmas Eve
I awake early to the sound of cans and bottles tinkling
it is still dark,
but just outside our fence
where I have put the garbage for today’s pickup,
you grasp and feel
sensitive to a bottle or can thrown away.
I watch you move onto my neighbour’s garbage
with your bag of empties thrown over your shoulder
like a dark outline
of an early Santa Claus.
“We Believe in 118”
The “We Believe in 118” community coalition began a sign initiative along 118 Avenue, which has gained noticeable momentum, judging by the number of signs visible in the windows of businesses and organizations on Alberta Avenue. With the advent of Christmas, the word “believe” is highly visible. I wrote this poem as I pondered the meaning and power of this word in the Alberta Avenue community.
As I walk down the Avenue,
I notice lots of signs
“walk” “don’t walk” “yield”
“line starts here”
I see as I pass by.
But there’s one sign that gives me pause,
I feel it through and through
“We Believe in 118”
Long live the Avenue!
“Believe” is such a simple word, a history of light,
a sign upon the Avenue, morning, noon and night.
The fates of those who slumber here, rest upon this word
like snowflakes on graffitied walks, lay upon the curb.
But a battle rages underneath, crying to be heard,
As we look forward, onward now—
whispering the word.
Dear Edmonton:
I am having problems penning poetry in Edmonton in winter.
To write poetry, one must have the use of one’s fingers,
Mine, however, are numb.
I keep the circulation going by
Knitting myself a new, warm, woolly cover for my pen.
Our dog, Payton, is pushing my frozen ink pot around with her nose,
Like a doggie hockey puck—
She shoots, she scores!
I am having a brain freeze, but without the benefit of ice-cream,
This is a sad turn of events, minus the Rocky Road.
I want to write, but even my muse is frozen!
My words crystallize into a confused ice sculpture of verbiage
Touching the icy edges, they melt beneath my hand,
Now turning to puddles
Then to air
Then to light.
This is me being whimsical. Fall is my favorite season.
(In My Bard of the Avenue Costume)
Kaleido 2014 was a lot of fun, a colorful kaleidoscope of music, art and dance. It is wonderful to have a free family festival right here on Alberta Avenue. This is the poem that I wrote about Kaleido this year.
This is Kaleido!
Join me on a magical tour,
A kiss under the mistletoe and more
It’s the light in a child’s eyes, so bright
That it dims the fireworks in the night
This is Kaleido.
Fire dancers, stilt walkers arise
Big bugs crawl their way up buildings to the skies
The first bugs I’ve met who wave “good-bye”
This is Kaleido.
At Takwakin Village listen,
To the voices of the Elders,
See the twinkle in their eyes,
They hold the heartbeat of our beginnings
Their singing high and bright, or deep and low
This is Kaleido.
Watch for belly dancers, who shimmy
So shiny and bright
Their veils like the sails of a square rigger in flight.
Art creating wonderful
Challenging our view
Lanterns light the darkened night
Offering a clue.
Suspend your senses—
Imagine an origami horse,
Galloping down 118 Avenue, of course!
Let the music surround you
As you’re feeling the beat
Your senses are spinning and it comes out your feet.
We have a magician
Believe me, it’s true
He might have a trick up his sleeve;
Maybe two.
Breathe it in
Walk, remember.
For this great experiment of creating anew
Is made even greater with the presence of you.
This spring, Alberta Avenue started the Abundant Communities Initiative. Here is a poem which I wrote about that.
Abundant Communities
We’re taking this opportunity
To create an abundant community
Whether teacher, lawyer, lion tamer or such,
Abundant Communities will get you in touch.
Your choir, so dour,
With a single voice,
90th Street, Edmonton
Abundant Communities will give you a choice.
Want company for walking your brand new pup?
Abundant Communities—
We will hook you up.
Sewing or gardening, or yogaing or more
Abundant Communities will give you the score.
We’re a gift to each other
It’s really quite true
When we get together
On the Avenue.
Check out Abundant Communities in the April and May 2014 editions of The Rat Creek Press
http://www.ratcreek.org/uploads/3/0/5/2/3052544/rcp_vol16_iss04_april_2014.pdf
http://www.ratcreek.org/uploads/3/0/5/2/3052544/rcp_vol16_iss5_may_2014.pdf
On the day of the K-Days parade, I was walking by our local fire hall on Norwood Boulevard, and out front sat an old Edmonton Fire Department fire truck. It was getting a tune-up before being driven in the parade. As I stood watching, the fire alarm went off, and all the firemen and the trucks took off—except of course, the old fire engine. After seeing that happen I wrote this poem.
Left Behind
The siren blared and you were off
Carrying your firemen into the unknown.
A false alarm
Maybe Mother left the oven on too long
The toaster shorted out and caught fire
Father fell asleep smoking and live ashes danced on the mattress
Back yard leaves burning, smouldered, then blew into the neighbour’s yard
Kitten up a tree.
Each time you left the station you never knew
Would it be something sad or serious
Or silly and benign?
Now you are a museum piece
Good for parades
or for going around Commonwealth Stadium when The Eskimos get a touchdown
Children get to sit in your driver’s seat and dream of being firefighters
You are shiny and clean now
Sparkling red
No longer streaked with the sweat and smoke of the life you were created for
Today’s sirens fade and only you are left behind.
In April, I had the pleasure of seeing Romeo and Juliet at the Citadel Theatre. The iconic love story of two teenage star-crossed lovers made me curious to mix Shakespearian language with what I imagined today’s texting teens might create. This is what I came up with.
Romeo: 
Juliet:
“O Romeo, Romeo. Wherefore art thou Romeo?”
Romeo: WYWH
“If I profane with my unworthy hand this holy shrine
The gentle sin is this:
My lips two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.”
Juliet: I 
U
“And all my fortunes at thy foot I’ll lay
And follow thee my lord throughout the world.”
Romeo: 4EAE
“Call me but love,
And I’ll be new baptis’d.”
I U2
Juliet: SWAK 
“Good night, good night!
Parting is such sweet sorrow.
That I shall say good night till it be morrow.”
Romeo: TTYL
HAK
Juliet: XOXO
I noticed a thread unravelling on my old, wool sweater
It seemed harmless at the time
That one thread unravelling.
It caught on a nail on the garden shed,
And I watched most of my right sleeve unravel
I couldn’t fix it.
It seemed harmless at the time—
That one thread unravelling
Later on, it turned out not to be so.
Bard of the Avenue 