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I Howl Instead of Saying “Hallelujah”

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I Howl Instead of Saying “Hallelujah” 

This day, I want to talk to God

to say something beautiful or wise.

Instead, I imagine that I am a fox,

my own inner animal.

I am running through a dark forest at night

Snow dripping from the firs

There’s a silence so deep that I can feel it in my bones

I can only breathe in short gasps

My insides are screaming, blood pounding,

when I finally reach the top of a cliff

where a sliver of moon dimly lights my way.

I stand still and blink in the darkness.

Here, there is air and space and time and madness—and then I howl…

the air coming out as white as snow on a Bethlehem night.

But this night—I howl, instead of saying “Hallelujah”












			

	
	



				
					


	

		

			Zoom-Zoom
		


				

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Yesterday afternoon, many of us on Alberta Avenue were keeping watch for the Canadian Forces Snowbirds Aerobatic Team fly-by  and we were not disappointed. “Operation Inspiration” fly on!


Here they come!


Closer!




 


Leaving rivers of Santa’s white whiskers behind


Zoom-Zoom


Sonic Boom


Hearts Bloom


Snowbirds embrace us all


As they fly 


Hope glinting through


Leaving


Rivers of Santa’s white whiskers behind 


A gift 


in the summer sky. 


 


 


 

			

	
	



				
					


	

		

			Grieve This Day on Golden Pond
		


				

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Broncos


Front Porch Memorial on Alberta Avenue 


As I write this poem, days after the Humboldt Broncos hockey team bus crash in Saskatchewan, my heart and all of the hearts here on Alberta Avenue, go out to those who are grieving today.


Grieve This Day on Golden Pond


“Prayers for Humboldt”


“Shattered Lives”


All signs of the times today


Grief unimaginable 


Flying flags half-mast.


Yet, heart to heart and hand in hand


We reach around the World.


Green and yellow and golden threads embroider


this time, this day, this hour, now yours.


Your green lives in the prairie grasses,


Your yellow glows in the never-fading light


Bright yellow hair ruffled by a new wind,


Blows across this golden pond of ice


Forever binding us


Broncos strong. 


 




 

			

	
	



				
					


	

		

			Faces on a Wall
		


				

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Faces


Hello everyone!


Welcome back to Bard of the Avenue.


When I took this picture; painted on the side of the Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts and the Stollery Gallery on 118th. Avenue; I was struck by the silent, unmoving, unnaturalness of a rigid face, a face not in motion; not alive. I was intrigued by the idea of faces on a wall and I wrote this poem. 


Faces on a Wall


Tell me a story, young faces of glory


An act on this brick stage.


Emoji stones faces, erases


A blink, a wink, a pout, a rage


Blow me a kiss- I miss.


Granite brow without wrinkles, or crinkles


The rain pouring down never falters – never alters 


This page. 


 


 






 

			

	
	



				
					


	

		

			Ghost Bikes
		


				

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IMG_8718Hello All!


I wanted to write a poem about the ghost bike which was placed at the intersection of 96th. Street and Norwood Blvd. in Edmonton last November. It stands as a stark reminder of the death of a city cyclist, killed in an early morning hit and run, and is the work of the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society. 


If you want to find out more, you can go to the EBC site or ghostbikes.org, to see what is happening with ghost bikes around the world.  


Ghost Bikes


You rode into death on your bicycle.


Different, I wonder?


From getting old, everything slowing down


Breath, pulse, being 


You rode into death on rubber tires.


A sudden slam ending


Like birth-entering with an explosion of light and noise and new dimension-


The wheels going round and round, then slowing down and stopping.


A determined hand, frozen,fallen,broken, brake.


Riding a white chariot to the stars. 


 


 


 








 

			

	
	



				
					


				
					


	

		

			Lashes, Forrest and Betty
		


				

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Hello from Alberta Avenue, where I am finding more amazing dogs!


First up is another dog that I met at Kaleido.


Her name is Lashes and she is a sweetie.


Lashes


Lashes- what a sweetie!


At the Eastwood off leash park I met Brendan, Forrest and Betty


FullSizeRender (76)


Brendan, Forrest and Betty


Forrest


Beautiful Forrest


Betty


Betty is a bit of a scamp!


Forrest High Five


Brendan and Forrest give a high Five. Talk about talent!


Thanks for joining me in enjoying more dogs from Alberta Avenue


See you soon!


 


 


 


 

			

	
	



				
					


	

		

			Romeo, Trouble and Nikka
		


				

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Hello from Alberta Avenue, where we continue going to the dogs!


All three of these dogs are little tornados of energy and fun.


Two of today’s furry friends are called Romeo and Trouble.


Romeo


Romeo(left) and Trouble (right)


These two adorable balls of fur would simply not stop moving!


Next we have Nikka.


Nikka 2


Excitable Nikka


Thanks for tuning in. Catch ya’ later!