During the Fall of 2022, on a whim (inspired by a Facebook ad), I registered for a poetry challenge. I had to write 21 poems in 21 days and they would be published into a book. In many ways, poetry was my first creative writing outlet, dating back to my high school years. More recently, as I leaned into my love for writing personal stories, it inspired me to re-explore my desire to compose poems.

This is the resulting work. Addressing themes of connection, pain and purpose, this collection of poetry seeks to celebrate the small moments of joy and acknowledge the commonality of the human experience through the lens of ancestry, aging and motherhood.

Available on Amazon.com (in the U.S.) you can order it now. Or, feel free to contact me with your email address if you would like a digital (PDF) copy.

Here is a small sample, one of my favourites:

Weight

My last baby is five.
And he is still small enough
to carry
upstairs to bed.

To feel the weight 
of his whole body
     (his whole world)
on me.
And being able to carry that.
To carry him.

But I know
these days
are finite.

Sometimes
the sheer passage of time.
The pace
and velocity
of aging,
brings me to my knees.
Like an intense, bright light
I can only stare it down
for a split second,
before I have to look away.

And still it happens.
The days,
and years
slip by.

Who said you could get so big?

The photograph on the front cover is one I took of Flynn (age 4) at our “quarantine house” in August, 2020. During that isolating COVID time, I made the road trip to Wisconsin with my three young boys to reconnect (mostly outdoors) with family and friends. Following our two-week visit, we had to quarantine for an additional two-weeks after returning to Canada. Smartly, Tim suggested that we find a lake house to rent for this quarantine period, as it would be too challenging to isolate from him and our daughter, Emaline, in our small, urban home (as they were unable to join us for the trip). It would also be impossible to keep the boys away from any parks or friends or swimming pools or other summer joys. I found a perfect location, about 90 minutes East of Toronto, on a rocky, isolated stretch of Lake Ontario. The owner named this property Moon Dance and the serenity, sunset views, crashing waves, sea glass hunting and simplicity it offered us was priceless. We rented it again for our required quarantine the summer of 2021 and even now, when a quarantine is no longer required, I still manage to visit for at least 4 nights each summer. It’s become an important and valuable part of my self care and summer experience, offering me the time and space for reflection and renewal that I’ve come to treasure. I hope it continues to be part of my summer plans for many years to come.