Wish me luck as I ‘seek publication.’ The fun part. From my query letter: Cariboo Ashes is a poetry collection that explores the tension between rugged geographies and the fragile landscapes within. My poems delve into belonging and resilience, weaving the lyricism of natural imagery with the sharp edges of contemporary life.
These poems uncover fierce truths about place, identity, and survival—whether in the wilds of British Columbia, the gritty streets of Los Angeles, or the vulnerable spaces of the human heart. Divided into five thematic sections—Foxlight, Veiled Histories, Within the Solace of Spectres, Embers of Us, and Alone, Together—this book offers a journey that is both visceral and reflective. While grounded in specific geographies, Cariboo Ashes resonates universally, interrogating how landscapes shape us and how we root ourselves in a transient world.
WRITING THE GLIDE
Ferocious as I am elegant
I did not ask for this
protracted neck, pale plumage,
penchant for the pond.
I may appear to be gliding
but my palmate feet paddle.
Neither did I ask to be a versifier,
foolishly speaking
in the voice of a swan.
We did not ask for this fate.
Who in their right mind would,
the gift of life bestowed without consent.
Born with words in my mouth, placed
by an unseen hand, an omnipresence
whether I believe in divinity or not.
What does it matter, my faith?
I can identify with a hissy waterfowl
or the Virgin Mary’s quiet grace.
Blame it on nature.
Biology. Perhaps a tribal resonance:
murmurs of Yeats, Baudelaire and Burns.
Words surge forth in a torrent,
language coursing through my veins,
an eternal song I never chose to sing.
