[Music] the first poem I’m going to share with
the first poem I’m going to share with
the first poem I’m going to share with you was inspired by this place not this
you was inspired by this place not this
you was inspired by this place not this new coming School of Medicine but the
new coming School of Medicine but the
new coming School of Medicine but the old foothills hospital main hospital
old foothills hospital main hospital
old foothills hospital main hospital space and it is about origins 6:45 a.m.
space and it is about origins 6:45 a.m.
space and it is about origins 6:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. October 19 2002 foothills
to 12:15 p.m. October 19 2002 foothills
to 12:15 p.m. October 19 2002 foothills Hospital Calgary the bed was too narrow
Hospital Calgary the bed was too narrow
Hospital Calgary the bed was too narrow and anyway I preferred the Blue exercise
and anyway I preferred the Blue exercise
and anyway I preferred the Blue exercise ball the rock and bounce in sync with
ball the rock and bounce in sync with
ball the rock and bounce in sync with the ache rising in my back it would grip
the ache rising in my back it would grip
the ache rising in my back it would grip and grip and hold before dripping away
and grip and hold before dripping away
and grip and hold before dripping away from the ball I saw the wide window
from the ball I saw the wide window
from the ball I saw the wide window ledge flat vents and thick glass edged
ledge flat vents and thick glass edged
ledge flat vents and thick glass edged by salmon colored curtains outside it
by salmon colored curtains outside it
by salmon colored curtains outside it was morning more and more the city squat
was morning more and more the city squat
was morning more and more the city squat in the smog and the panes came more and
in the smog and the panes came more and
in the smog and the panes came more and more voices chatted casually around me
more voices chatted casually around me
more voices chatted casually around me while in me you rotating down I groaned
while in me you rotating down I groaned
while in me you rotating down I groaned you round and down the small Midwife
you round and down the small Midwife
you round and down the small Midwife appeared at my shoulder her hair dark
appeared at my shoulder her hair dark
appeared at my shoulder her hair dark and fresh cheeks smooth warm little
and fresh cheeks smooth warm little
and fresh cheeks smooth warm little hands told me to stand up and though I
hands told me to stand up and though I
hands told me to stand up and though I didn’t want to interrupt our Rocking I
didn’t want to interrupt our Rocking I
didn’t want to interrupt our Rocking I followed towering over her with my
followed towering over her with my
followed towering over her with my mother’s long bones and with this large
mother’s long bones and with this large
mother’s long bones and with this large work my eyes could keep nothing out the
work my eyes could keep nothing out the
work my eyes could keep nothing out the harsh rectangle of a room tubes and
harsh rectangle of a room tubes and
harsh rectangle of a room tubes and machines blue knit blanket on the bed
machines blue knit blanket on the bed
machines blue knit blanket on the bed horrid pink chairs my husband’s must
horrid pink chairs my husband’s must
horrid pink chairs my husband’s must hair a plastic cup with ice in it and a
hair a plastic cup with ice in it and a
hair a plastic cup with ice in it and a straw the wide metal door ajar no one
straw the wide metal door ajar no one
straw the wide metal door ajar no one and nothing in that room was inside my
and nothing in that room was inside my
and nothing in that room was inside my pain like you were my son it was just
pain like you were my son it was just
pain like you were my son it was just you and me five floors up cars coming
you and me five floors up cars coming
you and me five floors up cars coming and going in the parking lot below
and going in the parking lot below
and going in the parking lot below little red cars and brown cars and I
little red cars and brown cars and I
little red cars and brown cars and I yelled out wanting help for us but no
yelled out wanting help for us but no
yelled out wanting help for us but no one came though they were right there
one came though they were right there
one came though they were right there and then I was all muscle and pushing
and then I was all muscle and pushing
and then I was all muscle and pushing and the glaring square of a room
and the glaring square of a room
and the glaring square of a room turned into one stretching circle as
turned into one stretching circle as
turned into one stretching circle as your head came finally to my hands and
your head came finally to my hands and
your head came finally to my hands and the dry dry air
the dry dry air
the dry dry air everything around us receded
everything around us receded
everything around us receded I remember the wetness of your dark hair
I remember the wetness of your dark hair
I remember the wetness of your dark hair I remember my lips on your skin and the
I remember my lips on your skin and the
I remember my lips on your skin and the purple pulsing fullness of you where you
purple pulsing fullness of you where you
purple pulsing fullness of you where you lay over my wide new heart alone in the
lay over my wide new heart alone in the
lay over my wide new heart alone in the shower an hour or so later umbilical
shower an hour or so later umbilical
shower an hour or so later umbilical cord cut and tied separate now from
cord cut and tied separate now from
cord cut and tied separate now from everyone from even you I let fall my
everyone from even you I let fall my
everyone from even you I let fall my fears what had begun as a collaboration
fears what had begun as a collaboration
fears what had begun as a collaboration of love would always be beginning ever
of love would always be beginning ever
of love would always be beginning ever distinct always entwined I begin you
distinct always entwined I begin you
distinct always entwined I begin you begin we begin our origins go further
begin we begin our origins go further
begin we begin our origins go further back then our births our mothers our
back then our births our mothers our
back then our births our mothers our motherhood what do we learn from the
motherhood what do we learn from the
motherhood what do we learn from the land even those of us of colonial
land even those of us of colonial
land even those of us of colonial heritage now that we call Western Canada
heritage now that we call Western Canada
heritage now that we call Western Canada this place in southern Alberta home what
this place in southern Alberta home what
this place in southern Alberta home what do we learn about our futures if we go
do we learn about our futures if we go
do we learn about our futures if we go to the land with our questions this poem
to the land with our questions this poem
to the land with our questions this poem has an epigraph so a little beginning
has an epigraph so a little beginning
has an epigraph so a little beginning quote from environmentally significant
quote from environmentally significant
quote from environmentally significant areas of Alberta volume 2 1997 page 52
silver berry and thorny Buffalo berry
silver berry and thorny Buffalo berry shrubbery and fescue and wheat grass
shrubbery and fescue and wheat grass
shrubbery and fescue and wheat grass grassland interspersed with drainages
grassland interspersed with drainages
grassland interspersed with drainages and small alkali ponds includes some
and small alkali ponds includes some
and small alkali ponds includes some small patches of cultivation glacial
small patches of cultivation glacial
small patches of cultivation glacial erratics of the foothills erratic strain
erratics of the foothills erratic strain
erratics of the foothills erratic strain esker widespread patches of rare little
esker widespread patches of rare little
esker widespread patches of rare little bluestem MD of Willow Creek toward the
bluestem MD of Willow Creek toward the
bluestem MD of Willow Creek toward the Buffalo jump
when I find a hummock of sage I lie on
when I find a hummock of sage I lie on my back and pretend to be a kind I wore
my back and pretend to be a kind I wore
my back and pretend to be a kind I wore earr on Vision Quest the topsoil is
earr on Vision Quest the topsoil is
earr on Vision Quest the topsoil is wispy thin but my senses root cricket
wispy thin but my senses root cricket
wispy thin but my senses root cricket jumps onto my thigh jumps off some small
jumps onto my thigh jumps off some small
jumps onto my thigh jumps off some small thing nearby squeaks a bird in the high
thing nearby squeaks a bird in the high
thing nearby squeaks a bird in the high hot blue is too small for me to guess
hot blue is too small for me to guess
hot blue is too small for me to guess but I guess anyway rough legged hawk I
but I guess anyway rough legged hawk I
but I guess anyway rough legged hawk I hope I haven’t stepped on any rare
hope I haven’t stepped on any rare
hope I haven’t stepped on any rare little blue stems on my way here I am
little blue stems on my way here I am
little blue stems on my way here I am frying even behind dark glasses the
frying even behind dark glasses the
frying even behind dark glasses the light is white and rippling this place
light is white and rippling this place
light is white and rippling this place takes a full southern quarter of my
takes a full southern quarter of my
takes a full southern quarter of my imagination so I wait it out a bit
imagination so I wait it out a bit
imagination so I wait it out a bit snakeskin prickly pear scour wind
listening and visioning share the same
listening and visioning share the same requirement I am very small on the esker
requirement I am very small on the esker
requirement I am very small on the esker entirely colonial don’t really know the
entirely colonial don’t really know the
entirely colonial don’t really know the plants of this place not even their
plants of this place not even their
plants of this place not even their names not their flowers or their
names not their flowers or their
names not their flowers or their medicine if my power is as vital as one
medicine if my power is as vital as one
medicine if my power is as vital as one seed in one berry that is significant
seed in one berry that is significant
seed in one berry that is significant magnificent suddenly I want to apologize
magnificent suddenly I want to apologize
magnificent suddenly I want to apologize need to leave this land be when I go
need to leave this land be when I go
need to leave this land be when I go home will I find a circle of welcoming
home will I find a circle of welcoming
home will I find a circle of welcoming hands when I go home will I put my hands
hands when I go home will I put my hands
hands when I go home will I put my hands my mind to good use when I go home will
my mind to good use when I go home will
my mind to good use when I go home will I remember what precedes usefulness I
I remember what precedes usefulness I
I remember what precedes usefulness I will go home dream a fescue dream of
will go home dream a fescue dream of
will go home dream a fescue dream of sage
”
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