I Think Legault Is An Alcatholic

Here’s my latest poem, it’s a villanelle. Feel free to comment or share. Thanks.

I think Legault is an alcatholic /

He thinks Bill 21 is nouveau and nice /

His manner of governing melancholic. /

A law against symbols is symbolic /

Of someone who’s not read Louis Brandeis /

I think Legault is an alcatholic. /

To ban a headscarf is vitriolic

In a land that is known for snow and ice

His manner of governing melancholic.

The Quebecois are a people bucolic

We boil down syrup not once but twice

I think Legault is an alcatholic.

When Duplessis ruled he ruled diabolic

And Francois follows Maurice’s advice

His manner of governing melancholic.

The Premier yearns to be nationolic

He privately prays to live in paradise

I think Legault is an alcatholic

His manner of governing melancholic.

 

Sunday Poem: Should I Continue Reading Man’s Lame Law

The inspiration for this villanelle came from a recent Supreme Court of Canada decision, and from the Westmount Poetry Group.

Should I continue reading Man’s lame law?     /
Particularly when eyes suffer a shortage of time     /
Of all I’m certain is life’s short see-saw.     /

In most cases judges flip a coin, ya
I would do the same if I had a dime
Should I continue reading Man’s lame law?

Life’s lessons do not help preclude making flaw
I’ve discovered this often in my prime
Of all I’m certain is life’s short see-saw.

When holy court slams Vice they rub me raw
Flexing one’s freedom should not be a crime
Should I continue reading Man’s lame law?

Most decisions are filled with fluff and guffaw
The worst part is: The fuckers don’t rhyme
Of all I’m certain is life’s short see-saw.

Sitting in chambers supports the final straw
Talk, Talk, Talk. Dysfunction rules sublime
Should I continue reading Man’s lame law?
Of all I’m certain is life’s short see-saw.

Sunday Poem: Democracy Kills

I’ve learned democracy kills. /

If you lay beneath all the Bills /

Government has enacted /

You’ll be mortally compacted.

 

Cartoon: Long Arms Registry

Cartoon: Of Courts, Your Honour

When a City Council Pretermits Poetry

As National Poetry Month(April) approaches, I am reminded of the words of the late Westmount, Quebec resident, former McGill Dean of Law, and poet, Frank Scott who wrote:

      Come and see the vast natural wealth of this mine
      In the short space of ten years
      It has produced six American millionaires
      And two thousand pauperized Canadian families.

Sadly, it takes fewer than six Canadian politicians to pauperize two thousand Canadian poets. The equitable recognition for poetry has, I am afraid, fallen victim of government gone gonzo.

Taking note of numerous Canadian cities who have officially recognized National Poetry Month, I approached my local municipal government of Westmount to see whether they would follow suit by having their next council meeting opened with the reading of a poem. Westmount is culture. It is a city that prides itself on being the first place in Canada to have built two stacked—one upon the other—NHL-sized, underground hockey rinks. With such a clear commitment to culture, I thought, how could they refuse?

I must mention that Westmount has sponsored a Pastry and Poetry event at their library for the past four years. While they decided to impose a fee this year for the first time in order to recoup their costs, the cost of having a poet read a poem prior to a council meeting would be negligible.

Westmount Councillor Nicole Forbes.

When I received an email reply from City Councillor Nicole Forbes, speaking on behalf of the council, I was knocked off my computer chair.

“…unfortunately we cannot start our Council meeting with the reading of a poem.”

“Cannot?”

Why precisely? No reason was given.

Regulations? A by-law?

Or was it merely that council loves poetry too much and would not be able thereafter to concentrate on business?

Obviously, this was their reason.

Cartoon: Novel idea, a free press

Ten Tears For A Flower Wilted

(#ouiguy)

I shed ten tears for a flower wilted

Your petals have been dried toughened by time

After many seasons your earth tilted.

Along the St. Lawrence snow has melted

Young players sprout despite salt and grime

I shed ten tears for a flower wilted.

Instead of retiring your stick, once gilded

You raise it, shout, shake off slivers of slime

After many seasons your earth tilted.

But the old game continues unstilted

A man’s name is worth more than a dime

I shed ten tears for a flower wilted.

One must let honour flow unbolted

Here, even today, I hear your heart chime

After many seasons your earth tilted.

The law allows a bed to be quilted

From humiliation a blossom shall climb

I shed ten tears for a flower wilted

After many seasons your earth tilted.

Guy, Guy, Guy

Long ago Guy Lafleur was right winger demure
Who could slap a puck into the net
As Canadiens go he wasn’t slow
So on him my money was bet.

But as decades pass the pounds amass
And memories are all that we hold
And when a kid screws up like an untrained pup
Unfortunate trials unfold.

In the arena of law skate many scofflaw
When a witness is accused of lying,
The prosecutors’ paws have sharpened claws
That they’re not terrified of trying.

And Habs hockey hero can be reduced to zero
When he’s charged for the crime of not saying.
The photos speak that he still looks sleek
But his hair, holy cow, it’s graying.

Today Lafleur remains cocksure
That he told the truth and only,
But as we all know when we watch slo-mo
That a legend is getting lonely.

When red light goes on truth starts to dawn
But it’s hard to appeal to a puck
So the courts will rule and like ice that’s cool
Unless an out of court settlement be struck.

My favourite sections of Canada’s National Energy Board Act — NOT

by Jack Locke

When pipeline companies can supercede all rights of citizens, there is a problem. When pipeline companies can take “Indian lands” without needing the consent of “Indians”, there is a problem. Welcome to Canada.

From Canada’s National Energy Board Act:

73. A company may, for the purposes of its undertaking, subject to this Act and to any Special Act applicable to it,

• (a) enter into and on any Crown land without previous licence therefor, or into or on the land of any person, lying in the intended route of its pipeline, and make surveys, examinations or other necessary arrangements on the land for fixing the site of the pipeline, and set out and ascertain such parts of the land as are necessary and proper for the pipeline;

• (b) purchase, take and hold of and from any person any land or other property necessary for the construction, maintenance and operation of its pipeline and sell or otherwise dispose of any of its land or property that for any reason has become unnecessary for the purpose of the pipeline;

• (c) construct, lay, carry or place its pipeline across, on or under the land of any person on the located line of the pipeline;

• (d) join its pipeline with the transmission facilities of any other person at any point on its route;

• (e) construct, erect and maintain all necessary and convenient roads, buildings, houses, stations, depots, wharves, docks and other structures, and construct, purchase and acquire machinery and other apparatus necessary for the construction, maintenance and operation of its pipeline;

• (f) construct, maintain and operate branch lines, and for that purpose exercise all the powers, privileges and authority necessary therefor, in as full and ample a manner as for a pipeline;

• (g) alter, repair or discontinue the works mentioned in this section, or any of them, and substitute others in their stead;

• (h) transmit hydrocarbons by pipeline and regulate the time and manner in which hydrocarbons shall be transmitted, and the tolls to be charged therefor; and

• (i) do all other acts necessary for the construction, maintenance and operation of its pipeline.

Indian lands

• 78. (1) No company shall take possession of or occupy lands in an Indian reserve without the consent of the Governor in Council.