Polar Borealis story

 

I have a story in the new issue of Polar Borealis, which is free to read online:

https://polarborealis.ca/.../POLAR-BOREALIS-34-May-2025.pdf

It is a very short little piece which I thought of as whimsically dystopian when I submitted it last September. A lot has happened since then, and I'm not sure if the story is more or less relevant now. If you take the time to read it, maybe let me know what you think.

Cradle To Stage 2025

 

My script, 'Misfortune', based on the Sicilian folktale by Agatuzza Messia, is going to be included in the Cradle to Stage reading series at Edmonton's Walterdale theatre. It is the story of an evil fate faced with wit, kindness, and a bit of magic. It will be one of three scripts presented on Tuesday, May 20 and Saturday, May 24, directed by Donna Call and read by a team of talented volunteers. Walterdale also sponsored dramaturgy sessions with Beth Graham to help improve my script before sending it to the readers. I have been thoroughly impressed with everyone involved and am confident the evening will be well worth the low $10 ticket price. Tickets are available now through the Walterdale theatre website: https://www.walterdaletheatre.com/65th-season/from-cradle-to-stage-new-play-festival/

Polar Starlight #5

 My poems 'A Vision of the Future' and 'Grassgreen' are included in the new issue of Polar Starlight, a spinoff of Polar Borealis focusing just on poetry.  The issue can be downloaded for free here POLAR-STARLIGHT-5-March-2022.pdf , and more information about both magazines is available at polarborealis.ca

Home for the Howlidays

The Home for the Howlidays anthology from Tyche books has been released, which includes my story "Apple Night." The links to order print or ebooks can be found here: https://tychebooks.com/howlidays . The theme is a combination of winter holidays and canines, perfect for reading on a long winter's night. I don't have my copy yet but I am looking forward to reading the other stories, especially the one by local author E.C. Bell, who gave some hints about the story at her booklaunch for the latest in her Marie Jenner paranormal mystery series.

The Day Auntie Boiled Over

 

The day Auntie boiled over, there was a wind blowing.

The sky was smoky and the sun was orange,

And her steam rose up like a genie,

Sardonic and terrible, and it looked about itself

And then breathed out all her frustration and sorrow

And the wind carried it all the way to the palace

And the laughter of the cruel ones died on their lips

And the cups fell from their hands

And the silence that followed was like the ebb of a tsunami.

It was like the moment of waking from a nightmare.

Aurora

I have been told that in some northern Indigenous traditions, the aurora is described as the hair of departed ancestors. The sky last night was a beautiful illustration. My son tells me he has seen auroras for several nights, including fiery red ones.

We Must Write Poems About Trees

 

We must write poems about trees, not just take pictures,

because a picture is always too far, too near, too simple.

If it shows the sweep of branches it misses the texture of bark and leaf.

A tree will not confine itself to one perspective. It is like history

or dreams, or anything we try to grasp like the blind ones

with the elephant: anything too big and too intricate and too sacred.

Anything, really.