The Sesame Benediction A poem on Anne’s joy at savouring a fresh bagel Steam sighs from the hollow of the still-warm bagel, Crackled shell yielding under her trembling touch, Gold-flecked with sesame, their perfume a pulse— A whiff of ancient streets, laughter curling in air. Richness spilling over, a tide against the tongue— Sweet and..
Palliative Care Hair A free verse poem celebrating Anne’s first visit to the hairdresser since the onset of her disease Today, Anne’s scalp blooms again— silver tufts bristle through the thaw of winter, as if the dawn has stroked the frost from barren fields. The salon chair rises to cradle her— throne of gentle..
Anne’s Radiant Smile In the quiet dawn of a winsome morning, Anne steps into the world, her guileless heart shining bright, radiating warmth like a sunbeam, each glance a beguiling promise, whispers of joy woven in her laughter. The softness of her spirit dances, a gentle breeze through the vermilion leaves of autumn, ..
In the Flux of Eternity She rests— in the patient hush of autumn light, her body a fragile flower cupped in the gentle palm of passing time. There is no trembling at the thought of dusk, no shadow curling at the edge of her gaze. She is not afraid. Her eyes, lucid as morning rain,..
Anne’s Yawn: Roaring Through It Anne yawns — wild as the MGM lion, Jaw unfurling in slow-motion spectacle, Lips stretching, raspberry pink, Her tongue a red carpet, rolling out for invisible guests, Teeth gleaming in a sunrise of surprise, The ceiling trembles at her operatic opening, She could swallow the morning whole. But behind..
Villanelle: Caregiving Through the Storm A Reflection on Loving and Caring for a Loved One with Brain Cancer The gentle hush of morning fills the air, I steady trembling hands to start the day, Love weaves its promise gently everywhere. You drift between the shadows and the glare, Each memory, fragile, threatened with decay,..
To be sung on the water My wife Anne’s first language is German. Listening to the piece below in the language of her childhood, an antidote to the cancer she is battling, moves her to tears. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-jwCVMLQj8&list=RDm-jwCVMLQj8&start_radio=1 Auf dem Wasser zu singen, D. 774. Music by Franz Schubert La version française suit l’original allemand ci-dessous. Auf dem..
Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in our Hearts When I was in Grade 12 at Oakridge Secondary School in 1968, a friend passed on a cassette featuring all the songs of the musical “Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Brel_is_Alive_and_Well_and_Living_in_Paris At that open and vulnerable age, I..
On love and death Haiga is a style of Japanese art that combines a haiku poem with a painting or drawing, often using calligraphy to integrate the text with the visual art. It’s a visual form of poetry that seeks to capture the essence of the poem through both words and imagery. I use Haiga to frame poetic..
Ebb and Flow In the Briny Light of Sunset For Anne in the sunset of her life Here, where the salt river unspools its silver tongue and the tide, tireless, draws breath— I stand in the hush of dusk, the sky unfurling its fire, a blaze of glory on water’s restless skin. Majestic, the..