BS: Al Purdy statue (late Cdn poet)

Subject: RE: BS: Al Purdy statue (late Cdn poet)
From: bobad
Date: 21 May 08 - 08:19 AM

Listening To Myself
Al Purdy

see myself staggering through deep snow
lugging blocks of wood yesterday
an old man
almost falling from bodily weakness
- look down on myself from above
then front and both sides
white hair - wrinkled face and hands
it's really not very surprising
that love spoken by my voice
should be when I am listening
ridiculous
yet there it is
a foolish old man with brain on fire
stumbling through the snow

- the loss of love
that comes to mean more
than the love itself
and how explain that?
- a still pool in the forest
that has ceased to reflect anything
except the past
- remains a sort of half-love
that is akin to kindness
and I am angry remembering
remembering the song of flesh
to flesh and bone to bone
the loss is better

Subject: RE: BS: Al Purdy statue (late Cdn poet)
From: Ebbie
Date: 21 May 08 - 01:32 AM

^G^ And many Alaskans claim him as well...

Subject: RE: BS: Al Purdy statue (late Cdn poet)
From: meself
Date: 21 May 08 - 12:08 AM

Don't think so. But don't tell us he wasn't Canadian - we have a habit of claiming anyone who spent any time here ...

Subject: RE: BS: Al Purdy statue (late Cdn poet)
From: katlaughing
Date: 21 May 08 - 12:00 AM

I could swear I posted to this and it took?!

Anyway, this is great news for culture!

I know he wasn't Canadian, but are there any of Robert W. Service somewhere up there?

Subject: RE: BS: Al Purdy statue (late Cdn poet)
From: meself
Date: 21 May 08 - 12:00 AM

Hmmm - I don't know Brian Goble (I suppose I should be embarrassed to confess). I'll have to look him up ...

Subject: RE: BS: Al Purdy statue (late Cdn poet)
From: meself
Date: 20 May 08 - 11:58 PM

Can't find a pic, but there seems to be a video clip showing the statue here. (I'm on dial-up, and so far I can only see the top of the head ... ).

Subject: RE: BS: Al Purdy statue (late Cdn poet)
From: meself
Date: 20 May 08 - 11:40 PM

Here's the story.

Dennis Lee, who helped bankroll the statue - and I don't think he's a wealthy man - is quoted as saying that 'the statue signals that the city and province are waking up from a "cultural amnesia."' Exactly my (hopeful) sentiments.

I'll see if I can find a picture ...

Subject: RE: BS: Al Purdy statue (late Cdn poet)
From: heric
Date: 20 May 08 - 11:37 PM

Brian Goble in Vancouver.

Subject: BS: Al Purdy statue (late Cdn poet)
From: meself
Date: 20 May 08 - 11:27 PM

A statue of the late poet Al Purdy was installed in Queen's Park, Toronto, today. I'm sure this is the first time the memory of a Canadian poet has been honoured in this way (there are a few statues of Burns here and there, I believe - one in Halifax, along with a bust of Sir Walter Scott). (The statesmen of our nation have heretofore prefered to erect statues honouring statesmen ... ).

Now, I'd like to see a statue of Alden Nowlan in Halifax or Fredericton .... And one of Milton Acorn in Charlottetown .... And ....