Hero

Hero

The soft white sand passes through his fingers
A beach nestled upon a crystal blue sea
The tropical breeze tosses his fair hair
and the sun embraces his golden skin
Everything is perfect
and for a moment you think
you are reading a travel magazine

Until he moves
turning his chiseled body
toward the scar
There
sinking into the sea-soaked sand
lies a fallen vessel consumed by flames
and you realize
their paradise is his nightmare

They are the children
thoughtless and naive
Laughing
they deposit their woes and fears
onto this fair, golden boy
Ralph

While they are full of fruit
he is full of turmoil
While they are full of meat
he is full of anger

Slowly
the children shift their gaze
from their flawless leader to a ferocious rebel
From golden Ralph to crimson Jack
the conch fades from view
as the pig killer takes the throne

Ralph is a lone wolf
They chose him as the alpha
He leads the pack because they wanted him

Why him?
Piggy is the smart one
but Ralph dares not admit it
for this bumbling, blind, breathless boy
cannot compare to him
Can he?

Even with his doubts
his rages 
his knotted hair 
and sandpaper clothes
Ralph is their hero
They think nothing of the distant ship
but the fire remains fierce 
and the smoke will be their savior

Ralph will always be their hero
the conch bearer
To Ralph
all that glitters is not gold
Yet 
to the littluns
all that's gold is Ralph

Fire and Bone

Fire and Bone

The pale boy hides himself

beneath a cloak of night

With lifeless skin and shallow eyes 

where he goes

death will follow

The littluns gather with ferocious energy

at the sound of his name

Jack

The one who walks on air

The silent seeker of flesh

Blade clasped in his gaunt fingers

he comes to life

A predator surfaces from deep within its frail cage

In a tangle of coarse green he stalks the soft pink pig

He can almost taste it

Something has taken control of Jack

An undying, carnivorous greed

The fire and Ralph and the conch 

they do not matter

Jack stains his ghostly face with black and red 

His gaze hardens

"I am the hunter

I am the master of blade and blood

I will claim meat and flesh

I will hunt

I will kill

We will devour"

Ralph wields the conch

but Jack is fierce

Ralph may be golden

But Jack is

fire and bone

Beautiful Death

Beautiful Death

Silent weight will wander

in suspended animation

her eyes are emerald torches

her robe soot soaked

shrouded by skeletal limbs of trees

that bow in her presence

The lamp in the sky

casts shadows through the silver fog

yet she eludes its watch

save for her whiskers

glinting in the darkness

like shards of glass

The blanket of silence is lifted

by an invisible thread

the spool lies with a child

whose desperation slices through the fog

She lifts her streamlined skull

the invisible thread drawing her nearer

like a kitten with a ball of yarn

playful killer

She dances on her haunches 

as a leaning cabin looks upon her

with empty eyes

sighing under the ivy rampant on the roof

Unseen, she advances 

her sleek silhouette defined for a heartbeat

metallic in the moonlight

she vanishes in the blink of an eye

She senses a figure nearby

tall and chiseled 

tracing another thread

to the spool that lies with the weeping child

Livid, she ascends through the mouth of the cabin

smoke collides with crimson blood

and crystal tears

the fallen queen flirts with fire 

and kisses with knives

The stars are her subjects

and the night is her domain

where she will become

beautiful death

From Loose Leaf to Paperback

Vancouver Writer's Fest at Granville Island

On  Sunday, October 23rd, I attended the Vancouver Writer's fest at Granville Island. During
this event several writers read their work and shared the story behind it. This reminded me of how it felt to work tirelessly on a flimsy piece of paper with my least favourite pencil yet produce something so profound. It's funny to think that this is how most writers get their big break. Seeing the writers read their work for an audience inspired me to share a poem of my own. This one was published in the New Shoots 2014/15 edition.


The Sailboats

I used to travel down to the bay

and watch the pearl white 

sailboats

drifting far away

I marvelled at their brilliance

bright with spirits high

with graceful turns 

they caught the wind

beneath an open sky

I clamoured over

sand and rocks

down to the water's edge

and longed to ride those 

sailboats

too far away to catch

Always a mystery they were 

who let their sails fly?

who'd venture out 

to open sea

and steer the sailboats by?

Long since have I left the bay

and journeyed 'cross the land

the world goes on

for miles and miles

untouched

by tides or sand

I don't remember the cries 

of the gulls

nor the winds that tossed my hair

I can't recall 

the mist on my face

but I'll never forget

the sailboats

Peanutty Soba Noodles with Kale

Photo by Leslie Robinson

This is one of my favourite vegan recipes from Well Fed, Flat Broke: Recipes for Modest Budgets and Messy Kitchens by Emily Wight.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 block medium-firm tofu
• 1/2 lb (250 g) dried soba noodles
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) peanut butter (natural peanut butter is best because it's runnier)
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) soy sauce
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) Sriracha sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp honey (omit or reduce to taste if using peanut butter that contains sugar)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 lb (250 g) chopped fresh kale*
• 1 cup (250 mL) chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped roasted peanuts

1. In a large pan on medium-high, heat oil and add onions, garlic, and ginger. Sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

2. Pat tofu dry with kitchen towel and chop into cubes. Add to pan, tossing occasionally.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil on high heat. Add soba noodles, and cook for 3 minutes.

4. In a small bowl, combine peanut butter, soy sauce, Sriracha, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and honey. Mix well, taste, and adjust seasonings as needed.

5. After 3 minutes, add kale to pot of boiling noodles. Cook for an additional 3 minutes, then drain. Rinse with cold water and drain again.

6. Add noodles and kale to onion mixture, and pour peanut sauce over it. Toss with 1/2 cup (125 mL) fresh cilantro. Divide between 4 plates, and garnish with another splurch of Sriracha, remaining cilantro, and chopped peanuts.

*I like to substitute spinach for kale because I prefer its texture over kale's. If using spinach instead, do not add it to pot of boiling noodles as it cooks very quickly. Simply add it in with the peanut sauce and stir until wilted.