Anne’s Smile A poem of resilience and wonder Anne lies beneath the shadow, the whisper of brain cancer curling in her mind. Yet each morning, she greets the world with a smile – warm taffy, slow and sweet, suffusing everything around her with serene light. Her smile – unbidden, luminous – drifts across rooms,..
A Woman with Heart For Anne, this Valentine’s Day A heart in every room – stone, cloth, glass – Anne, collector of the world’s pulse, your shelves hold tributes, tender and small, while your own heart, the true north in this house, expires quietly beneath hospital lights. You taught me to find heart everywhere:..
Anne Enters a New Phase of her Journey, on the Road to Find Out On Wednesday, February 11, Anne was admitted to St, Vincent’s hospice in Ottawa, for 24/7 palliative care Anne arrives through the sliding glass of the hospice, wind at her back, arms encircling a blanket – parrot-green, macaw-red – stitchwork humming..
Anne’s Song A Free Verse Poem You have always kept your songs close, Quiet as sunrise tucked behind evening curtains, Shy – embarrassed, you say – Afraid the melody might stumble, That your voice might stray from the path, That the world would hear you sing And think the tune misplaced. But I have listened,..
Anne Basking with Breakfast in Bed On rumpled sheets with jam to spread, Anne smiles softly, dreams unsaid. She greets the dawn, her worries fled, For joy begins with breakfast in bed. Her teacup steams beside warm bread, A golden thread through thoughts of dread. Though gentle steps are slow to tread, A loving..
The Fox / Le Renard By / Par Anne-Marie Labreque Quebec artist and poet L’artiste et poète québécoise Poem translated by Robert McBryde Le poème original en français suit immédiatement la traduction. The original French poem immediately follows the English translation. Fox: Carnivorous mammal, similar to a wolf but smaller in size..
The Gift of Concentric Rings* From Anne, Whose Hands Are Generous On May 12, 2025, Anne was rushed to the operating table for emergency surgery to remove as much of the metastasizing brain cancer that could be extracted without rendering her entirely dysfunctional. Just before going under the proverbial knife, she gave me three of..
Anne’s Jaunty Moccasins A bittersweet poem in honour of everyday courage She slips them on each morning’s light, Her moccasins, a gift so bright. Though clouds may gather, spirits thin, She finds her strength in moccasins. The doctors speak in hushed, grave tones, Yet Anne just grins and soldier’s on. Her shoes, a badge..
Anne’s Zen Transformation Free Verse on Illness and Becoming Anne’s face, once sharp as the wind against January skin, has softened, a gentle moon swelling beneath the touch of medication. Her body rounds, moves differently in the world, each curve a quiet rebellion against past angularities, as if the cosmos itself has decided to cradle..
Anne’s New Aroma* A Free Verse Poem on Scent, Memory, and Love Anne’s aroma has changed, a peppery edge now hovers in the air, not in the least unpleasant, but absolutely insistent, a rich pungency, as if the world itself has pressed close to her skin. There is yeast there, too, the scent of bread..