I pull off I’s toes and leaves them near the sea, I’s sea,
back to the sea as before, yet an hour’s drift from
Manzanilla, which is no place but a word I loves,
I knows what begins the act of saying things, what is lodged there
a promise of some life, not unlike this coal-grey sky, not unlike
the not-good marching band a street away throwing madness
out with I’s lonely discography, I says “please,” without toes
but what about these feet now that they are not ceased
in their act of making things, disappeared things
things given over to the gesture, the method, to the field
awash and undertow, what is love but the hand returning
to claim the dust red, white, black as a coal-swept evening
Notes on the Poem
Our Poem of the Week is from The Dyzgraphxst by our 2021 Griffin Poetry Prize Canadian winner, Canisia Lubrin. Lubrin was also recently featured in Fiery Sparks of Light, an augmented reality poetry experience spotlighting Canadian women poets presented at the Frankfurt Book Fair, where Canada was the guest of honour this year. Click here to learn more about Fiery Sparks of Light and watch this video to see how the holograms work! Produced with the participation of Telefilm Canada, Fiery Sparks of Light is a Canadian Film Centre / CFC Media Lab and York University Immersive Storytelling Lab co-production, in partnership with The Griffin Trust for Excellence In Poetry, and supported by OCAD University.