somewhere along a path between the marsh of a ditch and a railway upon an esker
of a ditch and a railway upon an esker
of a ditch and a railway upon an esker like many Canadians I grew up in the
like many Canadians I grew up in the
like many Canadians I grew up in the rural a part of southwestern Ontario
rural a part of southwestern Ontario
rural a part of southwestern Ontario food nashoni Lenin lunate and it should
food nashoni Lenin lunate and it should
food nashoni Lenin lunate and it should not be a territory although the land was
not be a territory although the land was
not be a territory although the land was hemmed in by roads and fences as a
hemmed in by roads and fences as a
hemmed in by roads and fences as a motley crew of kids we roamed we roamed
motley crew of kids we roamed we roamed
motley crew of kids we roamed we roamed across the wide acreage with a pack of
across the wide acreage with a pack of
across the wide acreage with a pack of loyal dogs
loyal dogs
loyal dogs cross cultivated fields and polluted
cross cultivated fields and polluted
cross cultivated fields and polluted creek beds we followed corn row paths
creek beds we followed corn row paths
creek beds we followed corn row paths back to scrub brush and furled them till
back to scrub brush and furled them till
back to scrub brush and furled them till rust and the tassels told it was combine
rust and the tassels told it was combine
rust and the tassels told it was combine season beware the rotating blades that
season beware the rotating blades that
season beware the rotating blades that could not hear or see and we harbored
could not hear or see and we harbored
could not hear or see and we harbored very little concern for the borders of
very little concern for the borders of
very little concern for the borders of property in a lot of ways I think we
property in a lot of ways I think we
property in a lot of ways I think we felt removed from the geopolitical
felt removed from the geopolitical
felt removed from the geopolitical because as kids we moved freely so lucky
because as kids we moved freely so lucky
because as kids we moved freely so lucky quieted away in that difficult and
quieted away in that difficult and
quieted away in that difficult and generative time in place did not know or
generative time in place did not know or
generative time in place did not know or understand the term migrant within the
understand the term migrant within the
understand the term migrant within the Canadian nation state as a displaced
Canadian nation state as a displaced
Canadian nation state as a displaced child of hybrid ancestry I did not
child of hybrid ancestry I did not
child of hybrid ancestry I did not realize how a border or borders were
realize how a border or borders were
realize how a border or borders were inscribed upon my very own body so often
inscribed upon my very own body so often
inscribed upon my very own body so often assumed to be for him I do come from
assumed to be for him I do come from
assumed to be for him I do come from people who have enjoyed stark and
people who have enjoyed stark and
people who have enjoyed stark and disabling conditions multiple
disabling conditions multiple
disabling conditions multiple displacements peoples whose papers
displacements peoples whose papers
displacements peoples whose papers perhaps have become unregular eyes but
perhaps have become unregular eyes but
perhaps have become unregular eyes but this is not uncommon in the world and I
this is not uncommon in the world and I
this is not uncommon in the world and I was comforted to learn at a young age
was comforted to learn at a young age
was comforted to learn at a young age that actually this is quite common so
that actually this is quite common so
that actually this is quite common so the combined difficulties of citizens
the combined difficulties of citizens
the combined difficulties of citizens and migrants led to me being born in
and migrants led to me being born in
and migrants led to me being born in Canada led to me being entrusted to the
Canada led to me being entrusted to the
Canada led to me being entrusted to the Canadian state and as a ward of the
Canadian state and as a ward of the
Canadian state and as a ward of the state
state
state I was fostered and adopted to that
I was fostered and adopted to that
I was fostered and adopted to that family in that farm that I mentioned and
family in that farm that I mentioned and
family in that farm that I mentioned and I was fostered again across the United
I was fostered again across the United
I was fostered again across the United States in the Canadian border a number
States in the Canadian border a number
States in the Canadian border a number of times in a number of places in my
of times in a number of places in my
of times in a number of places in my youth not knowing that some of those
youth not knowing that some of those
youth not knowing that some of those routes were ones that my biological
routes were ones that my biological
routes were ones that my biological father had taken having had limited
father had taken having had limited
father had taken having had limited status here as a traveling worker of
status here as a traveling worker of
status here as a traveling worker of workers crossing for lengths and
workers crossing for lengths and
workers crossing for lengths and generations necessary journeys north to
generations necessary journeys north to
generations necessary journeys north to reach in some ways a more secure State
reach in some ways a more secure State
reach in some ways a more secure State though still one of Nan belonging within
though still one of Nan belonging within
though still one of Nan belonging within Canada and I think this is particularly
Canada and I think this is particularly
Canada and I think this is particularly the case at some intersections of black
the case at some intersections of black
the case at some intersections of black African ancestry today in more recent
African ancestry today in more recent
African ancestry today in more recent years through my work in migrant justice
years through my work in migrant justice
years through my work in migrant justice organizing in prison solidarity work and
organizing in prison solidarity work and
organizing in prison solidarity work and working within communities of displaced
working within communities of displaced
working within communities of displaced people I’ve come to realize that of
people I’ve come to realize that of
people I’ve come to realize that of course citizenship is an achievement for
course citizenship is an achievement for
course citizenship is an achievement for some with incredible intense labor
some with incredible intense labor
some with incredible intense labor behind it and for others citizenship is
behind it and for others citizenship is
behind it and for others citizenship is a deeply unconsidered privilege borders
a deeply unconsidered privilege borders
a deeply unconsidered privilege borders determine sovereign privileges as the
determine sovereign privileges as the
determine sovereign privileges as the poet hari Ellery notes from the border
poet hari Ellery notes from the border
poet hari Ellery notes from the border city of san diego writing recently in
city of san diego writing recently in
city of san diego writing recently in poetry international not feeling that
poetry international not feeling that
poetry international not feeling that moment an untroubled moment of
moment an untroubled moment of
moment an untroubled moment of citizenship when we are untroubled in
citizenship when we are untroubled in
citizenship when we are untroubled in our mobility this this is the opposite
our mobility this this is the opposite
our mobility this this is the opposite at what people who are being identified
at what people who are being identified
at what people who are being identified as undesirable are experiencing right
as undesirable are experiencing right
as undesirable are experiencing right now being told explicitly and implicitly
now being told explicitly and implicitly
now being told explicitly and implicitly both at border and within them that they
both at border and within them that they
both at border and within them that they are no longer or no one of us it is
are no longer or no one of us it is
are no longer or no one of us it is through the imagination of the border
through the imagination of the border
through the imagination of the border alluri notes that the figure of the
alluri notes that the figure of the
alluri notes that the figure of the illegal has been in
illegal has been in
illegal has been in nted yet many of us agree no one is
nted yet many of us agree no one is
nted yet many of us agree no one is illegal the displaced the migrant is not
illegal the displaced the migrant is not
illegal the displaced the migrant is not inherently criminal in no matter no
inherently criminal in no matter no
inherently criminal in no matter no matter one citizenship some must always
matter one citizenship some must always
matter one citizenship some must always have their papers at hand what kind of
have their papers at hand what kind of
have their papers at hand what kind of country looms in your imagination we’re
country looms in your imagination we’re
country looms in your imagination we’re racially profiled people are carted
racially profiled people are carted
racially profiled people are carted singled out and separated at times with
singled out and separated at times with
singled out and separated at times with grave implications is that Canada for
grave implications is that Canada for
grave implications is that Canada for you on traditional ancestral indigenous
you on traditional ancestral indigenous
you on traditional ancestral indigenous territories daily racially profiled
territories daily racially profiled
territories daily racially profiled people including indigenous persons face
people including indigenous persons face
people including indigenous persons face demands for ID from officers we are
demands for ID from officers we are
demands for ID from officers we are reminded that regardless of citizenship
reminded that regardless of citizenship
reminded that regardless of citizenship we may be suspect and subject to
we may be suspect and subject to
we may be suspect and subject to identification classification
identification classification
identification classification registration to be known by our numbers
registration to be known by our numbers
registration to be known by our numbers and to be surveilled every time we cross
and to be surveilled every time we cross
and to be surveilled every time we cross that border and most especially should
that border and most especially should
that border and most especially should we be taken aside for further
we be taken aside for further
we be taken aside for further questioning Belarusian poet Valjean
questioning Belarusian poet Valjean
questioning Belarusian poet Valjean jamort notes that the border is neither
jamort notes that the border is neither
jamort notes that the border is neither a line nor a long tall fence but a
a line nor a long tall fence but a
a line nor a long tall fence but a waiting room and their people are
waiting room and their people are
waiting room and their people are stripped of everything except for the
stripped of everything except for the
stripped of everything except for the meat that can sit or stand upon request
meat that can sit or stand upon request
meat that can sit or stand upon request and the weight of that bureaucracy
and the weight of that bureaucracy
and the weight of that bureaucracy permeates every aspect of our lives our
permeates every aspect of our lives our
permeates every aspect of our lives our unification with family or access to
unification with family or access to
unification with family or access to economy to health education mobility for
economy to health education mobility for
economy to health education mobility for those made to feel it the border is
those made to feel it the border is
those made to feel it the border is everywhere and yet people risk their
everywhere and yet people risk their
everywhere and yet people risk their lives trying to cross borders people
lives trying to cross borders people
lives trying to cross borders people risk their lives just trying to reach
risk their lives just trying to reach
risk their lives just trying to reach the border and the number of people
the border and the number of people
the border and the number of people risking these journeys today is the
risking these journeys today is the
risking these journeys today is the highest it’s ever been
highest it’s ever been
highest it’s ever been the United Nations refugee agency
the United Nations refugee agency
the United Nations refugee agency reports that over sixty five point three
reports that over sixty five point three
reports that over sixty five point three million people so that’s one in a
million people so that’s one in a
million people so that’s one in a hundred and thirteen people globally
hundred and thirteen people globally
hundred and thirteen people globally have been displaced due to conflict or
have been displaced due to conflict or
have been displaced due to conflict or persecution just in 2015
persecution just in 2015
persecution just in 2015 resource extraction environmental
resource extraction environmental
resource extraction environmental degradation wars famines there are
degradation wars famines there are
degradation wars famines there are terrible famines on the planet right now
terrible famines on the planet right now
terrible famines on the planet right now borders markets policies the Canadian
borders markets policies the Canadian
borders markets policies the Canadian state and our way of life here is
state and our way of life here is
state and our way of life here is implicated we are implicated in the
implicated we are implicated in the
implicated we are implicated in the displacement of people globally thirsty
displacement of people globally thirsty
displacement of people globally thirsty cues cross thresholds of deserts and
cues cross thresholds of deserts and
cues cross thresholds of deserts and frost fighting weather frigid and
frost fighting weather frigid and
frost fighting weather frigid and perilous bodies of water
perilous bodies of water
perilous bodies of water journeying thousands of miles on foot an
journeying thousands of miles on foot an
journeying thousands of miles on foot an incredible risk people move traveling
incredible risk people move traveling
incredible risk people move traveling with children and every day police
with children and every day police
with children and every day police arrest and detain refugees and
arrest and detain refugees and
arrest and detain refugees and asylum-seekers crossing the border into
asylum-seekers crossing the border into
asylum-seekers crossing the border into Canada into the open arms of a carceral
Canada into the open arms of a carceral
Canada into the open arms of a carceral giant enforcing a safe third country
giant enforcing a safe third country
giant enforcing a safe third country edict because in Canada we regularly
edict because in Canada we regularly
edict because in Canada we regularly detain migrants and that’s thousands of
detain migrants and that’s thousands of
detain migrants and that’s thousands of people currently there are unregular
people currently there are unregular
people currently there are unregular eyes people being held in maximum
eyes people being held in maximum
eyes people being held in maximum security provincial jails
security provincial jails
security provincial jails that’s prisons without charges and
that’s prisons without charges and
that’s prisons without charges and indefinitely because in Canada we have
indefinitely because in Canada we have
indefinitely because in Canada we have no time limits on immigration detention
no time limits on immigration detention
no time limits on immigration detention people can be held here for years and we
people can be held here for years and we
people can be held here for years and we detain children in Canada for grounding
detain children in Canada for grounding
detain children in Canada for grounding scarcity rather than abundance
scarcity rather than abundance
scarcity rather than abundance augmenting the fear of others instead of
augmenting the fear of others instead of
augmenting the fear of others instead of valuing our incredible differences
valuing our incredible differences
valuing our incredible differences hardening borders instead of engendering
hardening borders instead of engendering
hardening borders instead of engendering a more permeable vision of citizenship
a more permeable vision of citizenship
a more permeable vision of citizenship carved into the concrete borders zoos to
carved into the concrete borders zoos to
carved into the concrete borders zoos to prisons those deer are in cages
prisons those deer are in cages
prisons those deer are in cages under the public library here in
under the public library here in
under the public library here in Vancouver and at the airport borders
Vancouver and at the airport borders
Vancouver and at the airport borders better sides beneath hospital in holding
better sides beneath hospital in holding
better sides beneath hospital in holding cell windows should we have an
cell windows should we have an
cell windows should we have an understanding of our history should we
understanding of our history should we
understanding of our history should we be responsible for our occupation on
be responsible for our occupation on
be responsible for our occupation on these territories then we would
these territories then we would
these territories then we would decolonize immigration if borders
decolonize immigration if borders
decolonize immigration if borders determine sovereign privileges then we
determine sovereign privileges then we
determine sovereign privileges then we would look to indigenous leadership and
would look to indigenous leadership and
would look to indigenous leadership and poetics to the land and to the water to
poetics to the land and to the water to
poetics to the land and to the water to inform our ways forward I recall the
inform our ways forward I recall the
inform our ways forward I recall the mobility of my youth and that freedom
mobility of my youth and that freedom
mobility of my youth and that freedom engenders my poetics of poetry
engenders my poetics of poetry
engenders my poetics of poetry so frontier poetry that shelters travels
so frontier poetry that shelters travels
so frontier poetry that shelters travels and transmits and warms hands and
and transmits and warms hands and
and transmits and warms hands and comforts feet permanently feet
comforts feet permanently feet
comforts feet permanently feet blistering failures will keep leaving
blistering failures will keep leaving
blistering failures will keep leaving the ground left-right left-right
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