Deluge
Tears of my family filled
creeks and rivers that flowed
against the ancient balance
and suddenly what was valuable
turned into a consumeristic parody
deluge that roared along
evaluations of the ancient wisdom
and the gardenia’s faint smile
the finch’s soft murmur, scent
of the night flower became
their annulled paradise
and the peace of their souls
sunken deep in the deep bog
and in the shadow of illusion
excerpt
wooden feet, and watched as Ronnie quickly lowered his charge to the ground. Bobby lay in a heap in front of them.
“Wake up, Bob, wake up quick.” Ronnie shook him, and putting both hands under his shoulders, tried to make him stand erect.
Cruel, Rachael thought, you’re cruel, Ronnie. Let him sleep. They couldn’t go any further anyway, so why couldn’t they just lay down in the nice, warm snow and sleep? Cruel, Ronnie. You’re mean.
She watched, detached, as their cruel cousin tried to make the child wake up and walk. But Bobby lolled forward like a rag doll.
“Help me, Rachael, we’ve got to wake him up.”
She didn’t move.
“Rachael!” Ronnie sounded hysterical but she didn’t care. “Rachael! Come over here and help me wake him up. If he doesn’t wake up and start walkin’, he’ll die.”
Jolted to full attention, Rachael struggled to her feet and plodded over to them as fast as she could through the drifted snow. “No, Ronnie, no, don’t let him die,” she cried.
“Then help me get him moving.”
Needing no more urging, Rachael bent down in front of her brother and gripped his shoulders. “Bobby, Bobby, wake up, wake up.”
He opened his eyes and looked at her. The glimmer of a smile passed over his face. “Hi Rachael,” he whispered, just as he always did when she woke him in his bed at home.
In minutes they had him walking between them, each holding a small mittened hand. His pace slowed them down, but Rachael knew now that the important thing was to keep him moving at any cost. She had also roused a little from her stupor, and now she began to feel colder than she had felt for a while. She glanced upwards, then squinted at what she saw – or what she thought she saw. Was she imagining things again?
“Look … there’s a … l…light, Ronnie.” She expected him to tell her there was nothing there.
“It’s a star.”
“Really?”
Evening
The children that play in the spring dusk
far away echo —
the breeze whispers and remains
in the lips of the rose petals
the open windows that breath the hour
my vacant room —
a train coming from a foreign land
my vanished dreams
chime of bells that fades, evening that descends
onto the city —
onto the faces of people, into the mirror of the sky
in all my life right now.
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“I suggest we talk to Hank right now and he can talk to Marty.”
“Can he keep a secret?” asked Ted.
“We’re going to have to trust him.” David waved at Hank and he happily slid into a seat at their table. Quickly, David outlined the facts.
He’s got a good organizing streak, Jennifer thought and was comforted. The group voted three to two, Hank and Jennifer opposed, to tell Lona about Paul’s departure and about the subsequent plan for Volodya.
“She’s a smart cookie—the sort of person who would figure it out—so it’s better to have her on our side.” David seemed relieved. “Call her over as soon as she comes in.”
But it was Chopyk who entered the dining room first. He marched solemnly toward the group’s table. Jennifer drew in her breath. David’s mouth hung open. Maria looked guilty. God, we’re never going to make it out of the country if one glance from Chopyk throws us into such a tailspin. But when Chopyk arrived, he addressed only her as if the others were not present.
“Finally coming into your territory then, Mrs. White?” he said. They were the first words he had spoken to her since the telegram incident and she didn’t have a clue what he was talking about.
“Uh…you’re referring to…?”
“Kazan. The Gorky museum, of course.”
“Oh, of course.” The place where Maxim Gorky worked and lived. The very foundation of my thesis. Remember? This was supposed to be the highlight of my trip. “Sure…” she continued, “I’m really looking forward to it.” She hadn’t thought about it in a week.
“We only have about four hours in Kazan before the museum closes, and we catch our plane to Moscow the next morning. Perhaps I can help you spend your time there fruitfully. I could take charge of the students while you’re at the museum.”
“Why, thank you—that would be great, oh….” She was aware that the faces around the table were stunned as if they had only just remembered that Chopyk was still in charge of the trip. She glimpsed David shaking his head, his eyes wide.
“Uh, but no…that’s okay, Professor Chopyk.” They hadn’t yet had time to formulate a plan. “I imagine we’ll all be going there together…that is, some of them may want to spend some free time in Kazan and so…” She stumbled on.
Ocean’s March
Eyes content with water pictures
that still hunger for water
parades of stars in the memory of gulls asleep
sudden assault of dolphins panic of aqua world
on cracked water mirrors
the circular escape of galaxy
Let startled silence leave again
to the distant asleep shore
– white daughter of sunken captains
living in the ruins of the ancient dock
and every night as the moon fills
she is chased by the drunk sailors
Master of the sky of earth and of the sea
until when shall we vigil
until when shall we thirst
until when shall we die?
To reach where the light
stops shattering
on wounds and roses
to silence the footsteps
of tired swallows
you would have to get tired
to the last step of twilight
with your breath shattered until death
I Have a stone
I lick a stone. The pores of my tongue match the pores of the stone. my
tongue dries up and travels to the other side of the stone that touches
the soil and has some mold glued on it like blood. suddenly my
tongue becomes moist again; it moistens the stone which slides in my
mouth.
I call this stone Oedipus, because like Oedipus the stone is irregular
with deep gouges in the eyes. It too tumbles with swollen ankles.
When it stays still it hides under it a fate, a serpent, my forgotten self.
I call this stone Oedipus because it has no meaning on its own it has
the shape and weight of the choice.
so I name it and I lick it
to the end of my story
until I understand what choice means
until I understand what end means
V
Have we ever thought of
all the poetry books that
are never read?
The many acts of generals
that no historian has ever recorded
(or didn’t want to record?)
Have we ever contemplated on
all the beloved conversations with friends
who knew deep inside
that one day we’ll look at them as strangers?
Coalition
They assembled from the north
and south, from eastern lands and
western territories, they gathered.
The coalition of the willing
reached a conclusion:
Neocons would attack the western flank
Neo-liberals would bomb the eastern dunes
The socialists would secure the North
free marketers would advance from the South
no inch of this country should
be left free to chance.
Humanitarians would drop rations
of food in plastic containers
fried rice, mashed potatoes
preservatives and ambience
nations assembled and in unison and
they reached an agreement
for the good of the inhabitants
they had to cleanse the land
of undesirable pollutants
and its disallowed freedom
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“This is city business,” Spanger said. “The mayor of this town
just suggested that I arrest a couple of people when I have nothing
to charge them with. What’s your advice?”
The city attorney looked at Spanger for a second, cleared his
throat and examined a painting.
“My practice is to keep the mayor happy when he wants something.”
“If that’s your advice, tell me what the law says.”
“The law says that every person accused of a crime has the right
to a fair and speedy trial.”
“What does it say about arresting people without grounds?
What does it say about arresting people on suspicion?”
“For instance.”
“For instance, Pete Torgerson wants me to arrest Poodie James
and an old hobo on suspicion of causing that train wreck last
night.”
Swan cleared his throat twice.
“Oh. Oh, my.”
Swan appeared to be memorizing the painting. His throat was
giving him an extraordinary amount of trouble.
“Didn’t I read in the Dispatch that those two rescued the engineer?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, my.”
“Well?” Spanger said.
“Darwin, the mayor must have good reason to give such an
order.”
“I don’t think it’s so good. I think he’s trying to turn the public
against a couple of people who can’t defend themselves so he can
help himself get reelected. But that’s only my opinion. What’s
yours?
“I’m out of my element here” Swan said. “I know the mayor is
concerned about hobos, but—oh, my. I’ll discuss it with the
mayor.”
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“All set?” Hakim asks.
“As ready as ever,” Talal says.
“How are you, Mom?” Jennifer asks her mother.
“I’m just fine, sweetheart. We’re going on a holiday trip. I’ll be in touch on a
regular basis. There’s a way I can talk to Jennifer every day isn’t there?” she asks
Talal.
“Of course, there is; you can talk to her every day if you like.”
They load their suitcases into the car and in half an hour are at the airport. Talal
and Hakim carry the luggage to be checked in, then they all go to the lounge and
order drinks.
“Don’t forget Ibrahim will have Rassan pick you up. I gave him your flight
number and time of arrival.”
Emily realizes for the first time they’ll be staying with Hakim’s relatives.
“We’re staying with Hakim’s uncle?” she asks.
“Yeah, for a while; you’ll get a chance to see his villa.”
Hakim looks at Jennifer who has drunk her wine quickly; her cheeks are
reddish and she looks a lot more relaxed.
“I see you’re better now!” he jokes with her.
Soon the travelers need to go to their gate as the departure time has arrived;
they walk toward C29, their designated gate. Emily and Jennifer go to the
washroom, so Hakim has the opportunity to talk to Talal about Bevan’s message
and what he needs to find out.
“Relate the message exactly that way to Ibrahim and see what he wants us to
do.”
“I will. Don’t worry.”
“Have a good trip and take care of yourself and Emily.”
Hakim hugs Emily, who has come back, and says, “Have a good trip and
enjoy. Give a kiss to my uncle and Auntie Mara. I look forward to hearing about
it all when you get back.”
“Thank you, Hakim; thanks for everything.”
Jennifer hugs and kisses her mother and then Talal.
“Have a good trip and take care of my mom, please,” she says to him.
“Thank you and don’t worry; I’ll make sure Emily has the time of her life on
this trip.”
They walk through the gate while Hakim and Jennifer head back to the car.
Emily and Talal get to their seats in the front of the aircraft, row two, first
class; there are only four passengers in first class and there are twelve seats. Emily is
seated in first class for the first time in her life and so is Talal. They get busy
finding all the functions on the buttons of their seats, which are wide and
Hellenic Canadian Literature 