These poems each have a set of guided questions, related videos that allow for deeper investigation, and suggested writing activities. We'll be adding more poems here soon! Laurentian Shield This portrait of a rocky, silent Canadian landscape speaks to the country’s limitations and its potential. The Swimmer’s Moment Will you choose to observe from the rim of the whirlpool, or its centre? Pale Blue Cover In this nostalgic poem, the speaker reminisces about the author Matt Cohen. From Red Doc In this poem-as-a-conversation, a man and his mother consider how the past lives on in the present. I’ve Tasted My Blood In this thunderous poem, the speaker proclaims his rage, anguish, and hope in the face of war and oppression. Passing into Storm Through an objective lens, this poem, which could be a trailer for a horror movie, describes a white man deliberately walking into a snow storm. To what end? Death of a Young Son by Drowning Blurring time but clarifying feeling, this poem gives voice to a mother who loses a son and gains a country. The Tyger In the woods at night, the speaker talks to a magical animal… Marshlands Quietly pause to take in the colours and sounds of a marsh. I Feel the Sun This poem articulates the poet’s intense feeling about the sunlight after going through a long winter. Jesse’s Farm Sadiqa de Meijer reckons with environmental degradation and motherhood in this poem that asks whether showing our children “the beloved world” is enough. Too Negative Have your friends’ parents ever warned them away from you because they thought you were a bad influence? “Too Negative” is a poem about that experience. “Breathe dust…” Nearly punctuation-free, this is a breathless journey through memories of a youth spent in rural Canada. My Poem Without Me in It Imagining herself removed from her own poem, a poet realizes how poetry gives her the space to create herself. Thou Poem A poet reveals the happiest and unhappiest parts of their poetry – in conversation with a poem. Beat! Beat! Drums! With rich bombastic language and Whitman's trademark sprawling lines, this poem rallies troops for war. The Lonely Land In this free verse poem, snapshots of a wild landscape show that beauty and conflict are not mutually exclusive — and that one may be derived from the other. The Powwow at the End of the World Sherman Alexie slams the environmental destruction of settler-colonialism as we travel on an upstream course towards the powwow at the end of the world. What Is Poetry Using only the letters in the title’s question, Holbrook generates a smorgasbord of weird and delightful answers. In Flanders Fields The dead summon us to action in this much-beloved poem of war. Community Garden Seeking to escape internet trolls the speaker turns her eye to the garden Where There’s a Wall Both beauty and violence are just on the other side of the wall. Full Metal Oji-Cree That’s ok, our robomocassins will outlive you nine times over. Regardless This vibrant list poem celebrates the right to just Be. Sonoma A dreamlike sense of the uncanny hangs over this poem of an encounter on a coastal highway. The Dead This sonnet considers the fragmented, elusive way the dead resurface in our lives. Cold Solace Even after many months in the freezer, a honey cake calls up strong memories. Modestine A woman writes a tender poem about her dad’s struggle with dementia. I Lost My Talk How can you speak your deepest truth in a language that doesn’t understand you? I’ve Tasted My Blood In this thunderous poem, the speaker proclaims his rage, anguish, and hope in the face of war and oppression. At the Centre In this poem of a woman in deep repose, her seeds of self-care begin to blossom. The Lonely Land In this free verse poem, snapshots of a wild landscape show that beauty and conflict are not mutually exclusive — and that one may be derived from the other. Application Form Identity is elusive. Maybe it doesn’t exist at all. For My Best Friend One way to grieve is to give tribute, perhaps even before the person you are grieving is completely gone. A Stone Diary A love poem to a stone takes on deeper, rockier meanings. Marshlands Quietly pause to take in the colours and sounds of a marsh. The Bow What flows through a name, and a name, and a name? Five Postcards from Jericho Postcards to regret, to time, to anyone at all grass In his short, funny poem, Ward Maxwell asks us to step on the grass, saying “it deserves it.” But isn’t that the point of grass? Vancouver Lights This wartime poem looks out at Vancouver’s nighttime skyline and contemplates humanity. Pagination « First First page ‹ Previous Previous page 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next › Next page Last » Last page Language English