Images of some of the posters at the Strega show:

80 – I Know What

you didn’t

know last summer you’re doing

the matrix like what I know

on or an or otherwise gordian

you don’t know what everyone

does in sleep

not sleep, not wistful dreams

not not not not

not summer

no what no known

no then free

no no do

I know what you did

I do not approve

what would happen

if I told you?

rob mclennan, Natasha Pedros, Stephanie Tingzon, Stacey Andrey, Michael Portelli, Eric Schmaltz, Priscilla Brett, James Millhaven

G60 – Write Songs Against

write songs against the wind

songwriters, the back of your guitar

your lover, the smile

the tiny breath suppressed

write songs against singing; then sing

again against ebony backgrounds

gaining on the quickly yellowing paper

write a fist

songs don’t succeed

sing songs against

write songs against poetry

the last round song

the synaptic curve of melody

the parallel parting of harmony

the reflexive arc of rhythm

the righteous round of rhyme

the arctic talk of time

the wavy groove of sound

the thump thump thump of the jackhammer

breaking up the street

time’s twenty four hours

sliding high

write songs against stall walls

the wrong sites

against rhyme and common sense

the heels of mud-soaked-sun-dried sandals

the curtains waffling in the breeze

against the grain, sand them lightly, apply a coat of shellac

and then rendition

against the status quo of status updates

anti-G20 police propaganda

songs irrelevant

songs against the machine

the forever final straw that keeps

the Right doing wrong

write songs against a ribbon for urinary infection

a yellow ribbon

up against the old oak tree

against all odds

Vanessa Place, Maria Damon, Amanda Earl, Linda Steer, Gary Barwin, Andrew Topel, Alice Robinson, Andrew Topel, Brian Bartlett, Slim Volumes, Catharine Heard, Jamie Reid, Slim Volumes, Kristen Peterson, Kathleen Betts, Tobey C. Anderson, Rob Budde, Pearl Pirie, Jami Kali, Nick Treanor, Warren Dean Fulton, Slim Volumes

52 – Open and Unfettered

chains upon the ground

a way out

won’t be found

or locked and chained

a hard-swallow

gulp next

discarded characters on the ground

waiting to be used

by an unlettered society

the Tibetan loses himself

to oneness and zeroness

writes his self-elegy

they embrace each other

with abandon

became slaves of passion

a con, a shell game, an illusion

folding unencumbered

from the heavy obstructed lines

design without function

open and unfettered

often and under-prepared

inconceivable overspending

on the G20 travesty

anxious and unlettered

road-sourcing

useless floating in October wind

Priscilla Brett, Kathleen Betts, Andréa Ledding, Warren Dean Fulton, Brian Bartlett, Tobey C. Anderson, Pearl Pirie, Rob Budde, John Barlow, Siobhan O’Flynn, Gary Barwin, Joseph Brown, Alice Robinson

1 – I’m looking for

my blood, again

I’m looking forward

an end to this sentence

for love, but I still haven’t found

a place to happen

a thesis statement

a chipped pretty picture

of sunshine and warmth

please, I’m looking, I lack

I’m looking minute

I’m looking for more

passion in home

the horizon line, the bottom of the well

temps perdu, my bearings

look

someone fill     the blanks

between      lines

in     story of my life

a jewel encrusted hawk

slaying a wren in flight: a frieze – a sky burial

a hawk and a handsaw

a lifetime of inspiration

I’m looking for love, you idiot

an end to this business

one more one hundred

myself in the mirror

the right question to my answer

spots of sunlight

things shine

despite this forestry

force’s fortress

that gold watch my other gave me

someone who really gets it

we can all get it but

I’m looking forward

those signs read

you are here

I found I

a bank with too many splinters

for words to dare enter

the place where I departed

when I find it

I’ll kiss you something to see

the end I’m looking for

searching for

yearning for

an answer

a solution, resolution

a long lost friend

my insanity, I seem to have

a long lost friend

my sanity, a strong tossed thread

a heart of gold

formidable

I’m looking for life’s secret decoder ring

the ward in forward, its dress code

of wrap-around white

I’m looking fortunate

Catherine Heard, Amanda Earl, Nicole Collins, Jacob Wren, Lisa Betts, JA Weingarten, Lauren Corman, Pam Edwards, Douglas Barbour, Nick Treanor, Carmen Racovitza, Kateri Lanthier, Priscilla Brett, Todd Bruce, Lynn McClory, Kinga Jakab, Susan Christian, Ted Betts, James Depew, Allison Sekuler, Alice Robinson, Warren Dean Fulton, Jeff Carpenter, Kathleen Betts, Andrew Topel, Sharon Honywill-Haddow, Pearl Pirie, Natalee Caple, James Yeary, Josephn Brown, Kim O’Gorman, Andréa Ledding, Linda Steer, Penn Kemp, Laurie Anne Fuhr

2 – A Third Way

A third way is not simply the first way and the second way jammed together in an awkward and uncomfortable merger, but hopefully something else altogether — something new, something we have never thought before. Once windows and doors have been tried,— heat ducts, sewer pipes. A third way will leave us on the streets, enough food to feed you. A song, a third a half a whole quarter: call forth, go in, prove to be the lucky one.

Begin with these three words: the way begins. A third way is a giving way, to take us that way means making way for some other. A third eye.

I thought they would go on forever. I search in vain, accomplishing nothing, sharing sounds of silent treatment on deaf ears. Conceived in a dream, a third way invented by a monkey playing an accordion.

Jacob Wren, Andréa Ledding, Douglas Barbour, Todd Bruce, Linda Steer, Andrew Topel, Penn Kemp, Alice Robinson, Gary Barwin, Natalee Caple, Joan Guenther, Catherine Heard, Kim O’Gorman, Kathleen Betts, Harold Renisch, Kateri Lanthier

3 – Through this fence

through this fence

all light is bent

I thee wed

another fence

I whisper –

what are you

trying to keep out?

the slim weasel escapes

the water lilies grow

we flock

thinking moonlight slants

line across the gravelled yard

found, we convert stolen gods

into poetry, true writers

are thieves

peer, wonder, fear, doubt

through this fence mending relations

restored regrets

noir noir comme le jour

push your heart to me

I press

through this fence

my friend

can you sense my brown eyes and cigarettes?

ripe grapes spoiling on the vines

the grass appears

lies common sense

through this fence

en garde

crawl seeking

any kind of happenstance

I watch the world go by

we go

shafts of gold

Kees Kapteyn, Tanis MacDonald, Chris Banks, Todd Bruce, Brian Bartlett, Shannon Maguire, Kateri Lanthier, Catherine Heard, Pearl Pirie, Andréa Ledding, Shawn Shipman, Joan Guenther, Linda Steer, Nicole Collins, Kim O’Gorman, Kathleen Betts, Pam Edwards, Susan Shone, Jacob Wren, a.rawlings, Jamie Reid, Alice Robinson, Penn Kemp, Mora Gregg

4 – Savvy, I turn

I turn you on to
my attention
to the convictions
that brought me
to this


gold in clean air
tears in water
ink in earth


I turn eyeful
the end of these sentences
toward hurts – please –
turn a phrase upon others
turn cold when martial law
turns heel on floor.


I turn towards the end
Sauvignon Blanc in hand
my head totally around
turn turtle to the left.


I turn into the thing
I’ve always feared: savvy,


the world in on itself
turns slowly, step by step
upon the point of this pin.


I French I English
I a Canadian pumpkin
turn the world on with my smile
and catch in my refracted eye
the shadow of uncertainty
and turn and turn and turn and turn




Todd Bruce, Susan Stach Anderson, Kateri Lanthier, Pearl Pirie, Gary Barwin, Ted Betts, Glenn Robson, Jamie Reid, Priscilla Brett, Catherine Heard, Brian Bartlett, Amanda Earl, Sharon Honywill-Haddow, Kit Dobson, Andrew Topel, Warren Dean Fulton, Kemeny Babineau, Andréa Ledding, Joseph Brown, Linda Steer, Kim O’Gorman, Jacob Wren

5 – Lines into Wires

zap good reset

spaghetti in pot

me wondering telegraph

the highway driven

home lines wire

the physical infrastructure

the internet me

short notice lions

tremble into sleep

whines into liars

desire, desire, desire

and how liars spark

the circuit text

a woven tapestry

post-Heideggarian exclaim

the poem spread

wires into ears

into hammers anvils

mucus connective crevasses

conduct vibrations brain

the wires live

eliding writhe stet

enjambing keeps soldering

hidden wires into

song cuts the

heart into strips

make the connections

wires into lyres

and liars into

the Spring, spark

lip frayed end

outliers into flatterers

begat wires to

bolts switch lightning

I need metaverse

the strip hack

your channels

into lines

Pearl Pirie, Tim Posgate, Bryne Helen Lewis, Jacob Wren, Amanda Earl, Natalee Caple, Andréa Ledding, Linda Steer, Kathleen Betts, Roland Prevost, Todd Bruce, Warren Dean Fulton, Jamie Reid, John Moore Williams, Brian Bartlett, Nicole Collins, Lauren Corman, Tanis MacDonald, Yvonne Trainer, Sharon Honywill-Haddow, R.P. MacIntyre, Susan Christian, Ralph Kolewe, Kateri Lanthier, Kim O’Gorman, Priscilla Brett, Joseph Brown

6 – That Lead Straight

A series of people finish this sentence

contaminate your brain and make it impossible

to finish

which explains why it was so dull.

The final clue: an ancient coin

with unknown characters on its face

that lead straight to hell

over the edge, down the crooked path.

That’s the last time I follow

the realization that I can’t even

think straight.

As the pencil it came in

straight

into the mouth of the dragon.

Jacob Wren, Miekal And, Amanda Earl, Brian Bartlett, Catherine Heard, David S. West, Warren Dean Fulton, Priscilla Brett, Todd Bruce, Douglas Barbour, Joseph Brown

7 – Into the Shadow

Into the shadow

another shadow

in the shadow

bad boy

rode

and out of the abyss of depression

cloaked for fear of the truth

shadow swim memory fish

dove to get the light

out of the grave

the shadow brandishing

we go

just beyond vision

a shadow being

grief’s remains

into the shadow

jump

walk north at noon

bodies go out of style

a crab scuttles out of the light

into the shadow

went into the shadow

the shadow turns

a lovely lady, hair of gold

the mother of the valley of death

a table with oil

my cup runneth over

into the shadow

colours still distinguishable

being

lost

can you name the woman?

her lover is not near

the death of the still

light behind is impossible

my secrets scurried

scuttled

into the shadow came the people,

the air, the ground, the sun, the universe

where I know what lurks in the heart

into the shadow I step

knowing not, caring not,

fearing

Jacob Wren, Natalee Caple, Miekal And, Susan Christian, Maria Damon, Todd Bruce, Tanis MacDonald, Jordan Frye, Kathleen Betts, Douglas Barbour, Warren Dean Fulton, Jamie Reid, Brian Bartlett, Alice Robinson, Lynn McClory, rob mclennan, Catherine Heard, Pearl Pirie, Sharon Honywill-Haddow, Jacqui Mc Menamin, Pam Edwards, Andréa Ledding, Nicolas Béaud, Andrew Topel, Kateri Lanthier, Joseph Brown, Kim O’Gorman

8 – Of the Violence

the violence and the English language collaborated

witnessed none worse than what

yesterday, the government

washed its hands, let the police go

the image, the newspaper

say nothing

brutal bruises, into the red

we apologize

rapt by the spectacle

inherent in human nature

we offer no further demonstration of the offal

the unclenched fist of the pacifist

capable of the species, this earth

only comes close to kind cruelty

the violins

of the violence

the violin whispered

i was thinking of

the violence, revolting

to reality

we witnessed much can be said

we have our collective stories

we can only say we hope it was historical

a blood splash to dew-starred grass

i sigh, not through indifference

flickering, say nothing

travel by the light of the stars

there is only silence

the violence ended

post toxin

the typewriter

offset by determination

jubilation

“The violence that occurred lately was sole. What else can be added?”

Miekal And, Todd Bruce, Jamie Reid, Beth Follett, Amanda Earl, Warren Dean Fulton, Catherine Heard, Ken McGoogan, Glenn Robson, Priscilla Brett, Thamyris Jones, Brian Bartlett, Gary Barwin, Natalee Caple, John Moore Williams, Danielle Clarke, Catharine Heard, Pam Edwards, Tanis MacDonald, Chris Fox, Linda Steer, Lynn McClory, Nicolas Béaud

9 – Of Post-Industrial Transnationalism

Dickens often spoke
of animals, Id, art, lust


some countries have more than others
and national, we bifurcate dogma


the migrating Monarch butterflies know
migrating Monarch butterflies
pre-industrial dust
of a country for old men


the globe as village
as goldfish bowl

we sing somnambulant
of post-industrial transnationalism
and its chances for transubstantiation


the Pope has declined
state


short-sighted movements were eclipsed
by dance, revolution
constructions teetering skyward to infinity


we sing in
our usual tone-deaf élan
of a post-breakfast champion



Todd Bruce, Natalee Caple, Jamie Reid, Kathleen Betts, Leslie Ambedian, Brian Bartlett, Kateri Lanthier, Shannon Maguire, Gary Barwin, Amanda Earl, John Moore Williams, Andréa Ledding, Catherine Heard, Michelle Mackay, Warren Dean Fulton, Steven Robert Morrison

10 – Protected by Police

for up to a year

the dictator decided to try his hand

at writing a romance

dragging tails through puddles

the harbour rats

carefully plan another spree of crime

feeling like you

sitting in the world

blatant, indiscrete

against common decency

criminals sleep

tucked in beds

children starve

protected by police

is slightly worse

than not being protected at all

I push through paparazzi

with my banjo and fiddle

bluegrass festival main stage

health care for all

makes me okay

pay taxes

police serve, protect, investigate

protect us from them

free starlight tours

all winter

Saskatoon shines

we fear everyone but

the oil industry devours the earth

the thin blue line separating us from savagery

protected by police,

by privilege

I am the law

Mubarak crumbles

the cardinals tremble

the pervert lived undisturbed

only the other police

mean nothing in this lawless land

he gathered gold and flew to Canada

protected by police from police

losses regularly

sound like an oxymoron

Ralph Kolewe, Shannon Maguire, Brian Bartlett, Jamie Reid, Kathleen Betts, Priscilla Brett, Jacob Wren, Tim Posgate, Todd Bruce, Warren Dean Fulton, Andréa Ledding, Alison Starkey, John Barlow, Catherine Heard, Gary Barwin, Andrew Topel, Joseph Brown, Miekal And, Natalee Caple, Laurie Anne Fuhr, Richard Rathwell, Harold Spooky Pollack III, Nicolas Béaud, Kemeny Babineau, Linda Steer

11 – Left Unprotected Power

power lines start to smile

lose its power

turn to rust

no longer

held the action of others

in the corner, power throws a tantrum

no one appears

power hears silence

for the first time

power exists in order to protect itself

law, justice morph into

fail

power goes out

candles at the ready

power weakens

sparks, lunges, and exits

creates and destroys

left unprotected, power left

power spills its guts

sleeps ‘til 11

finds new protections

should be unplugged

protects no one

fluent power

leaves us unprotected

gropes in the dark

whimpers in fear

I say, power down

have a good cry

power is shocking

turn it off

power picks up the children

power dissolves in a puddle

vacuums fill full of our fears

left unprotected, power isn’t

Jacob McArthur Mooney, Jamie Reid, Lynn McClory, Andre Bouchard, Catherine Heard, Kateri Lanthier, Jamie Reid, Todd Bruce, Warren Dean Fulton, Shirley M. Bear, Linda Steer, Gary Barwin , Glenn Robson, Cris Costa, Jacob Wren, Judith Copithorne, Douglas Barbour, Kevin McPherson Eckhoff, John Moore Williams, Catherine Heard, Kathleen Betts, Natalee Caple, Joseph Brown, Pam Edwards, Brian Bartlett, Nicole Collins, Priscilla Brett, Michelle Mackay

12 – Surges Against Bodies

sutures pull tight

the wave, a nickel, some stars

wind signs the coming

citizenship of Egypt

racing towards each other

like hacksaws sleuthing

souls in a storm

salt sweat sea

the lightening electric

full metal armour

living anthracite overwhelms

hair standing on static

quivering seeing you

purging

urges

I fucking hate this

mosh pit

surges against bodies

the Hardy boys cold fusion

cuddle puddle

only in a sheet –

petition the mind –

send reinforcements

Bryne Helen Lewis, Linda Steer, Ted Betts, Warren Dean Fulton, Roger Hanna, Kathleen Betts, Catherine Heard, Andréa Ledding, Ralph Kolewe, Sean Braune, Jacob Wren, Natalee Caple, Joan Guenther, Mat Laporte

13 – Intentions are Reset

intentions show up unexpectedly
intentions made to think
in Egypt


government blows the
fuses of people


I mean regrets
poke there
float
and reset again
the moment buckles
at the earliest opportunity


the crowd calls for the emperor
blinks
never recovered


the road everywhere
pressing the nib of your pen


be aware


I love you


let’s take expectations unmet
promises forgiven
intentions reset
free


intentions end sentence
after the stubbing to zero


reset, led, relocated by actions



Nick Treanor, Bre Walt, Jacob Wren, Gary Barwin, Stuart Ross, Andrew Topel, Maria Damon, Christine McNair, Natalee Caple, Todd Bruce, Jamie Reid, Priscilla Brett, Kateri Lanthier, Barbara Hunt, Andréa Ledding, Nicholas Béaud, Kathleen Betts, Amanda Earl, Catharine Heard, Victor Coleman, Brian Bartlett, Warren Dean Fulton

14 – Time to Try

get up, make breakfast

children, there’s nothing fair about justice

the patience of

an American fat-burning

dredging the river, corpse sniffing dogs

untying time

trying a new

look at the ones you love

that new definition of art project

out, again

time to try to move to Canada

try something new where you are

try everything

just be nice to each other

push the camel through the eye

of tears, trying times

time to try crime

to stand in concert

crime to fry meat

Troy listening

try this set of wings

let the young take charge

desperate measures

to live, try again again

JA Weingarten, Andréa Ledding, Todd Bruce, Catherine Heard, Andrew Topel, Alison Starkey, Brian Bartlett, Tanis MacDonald, Ted Betts, Douglas Barbour, Rhea McCarrol, Natalee Caple, John Moore Williams, Kathleen Betts, Kateri Lanthier, Gary Barwin, Pearl Pirie, Amanda Earl, Andre Rodrigues, Kemeny Babineau, Jacob Wren, Priscilla Brett, Allison Sekuler, Warren Dean Fulton

15 – I Go Forward

step, step back

blindfolded, groping in the dark

dozing off in the arms of sleep

I don’t know why

into the river

pockets with stones

leaning into the wind

forewarned

still trying

I go forward

or is it backward?

by moving the others

backward, I go forward

but Winter follows, unabated

careful

the world

with the bit in teeth

plans a backwards snap

brakes smoking and screaming

I go forward

but don’t come back

going down, looking back

sideways at tomorrow

and yet it never really feels

towards the end

word-wary

relinquishing intangibles

because I can control the future

but not the past

I go forward

wherever I can

into the dark

because we can never really go back

I pronounce four words:

I meant to say

I can change future

and not the passed

I like change better

I go for control

I go forward

into the abyss

at the sound of the buzzer

of the past

shying from the future

Vanessa Place, Catherine Heard, Brian Bartlett, Natalee Caple, Todd Bruce, Nicole Collins, Sandra Ridley, Jamie Reid, Kinga Jakab, Gary Barwin, Linda Steer, Andréa Ledding, Kathleen Betts, Tanis MacDonald, Tom Cull, Susan Christian, Thamyris Jones, Warren Dean Fulton, Priscilla Brett, Jacob Wren, Kateri Lanthier, Kim O’Gorman, Evelyn Mitsui, Alison Starkey, Joseph Brown, Clint Wilson, Lisa Young, Kristen Peterson, Kevin McPherson Eckhoff, Richard Rathwell