Today’s poem was part of a special launch schedule during National Poetry Month from April 1—30, 2024. I posted a new poem daily for 17 days and then got knocked off schedule because…I moved! This challenge restarted on May 1 and continues for the 13 days I missed. The final summary of all poems will be sent to all subscribers on May 24 and otherwise can be viewed for free in the archives here. Thank you for being here!
“WELCOME BACK”
“Welcome to East Van”, I remarked with uncharacteristic pep on our last twilight stroll, sixth total so far. There’s not much for me to show him, even though my baby bones were sharpened just a few blocks over, even though this is where I grew up, that’s how I walked every day from school, that’s how I dodged the niceties to get on with my evenings filled with trying to take over the world. Now, somehow, we’re both new to the abundance of best donair, more pizza joints than Starbucks (grand total of: none), more joints in high-gloss machines than big box stores, joints once grown in secret basements, caused frenzies of shame, once made a grown man cry, the first time I offered a hug because there was nothing else, now sold by chill shop guys behind beige counters next to some hotshot Millennial's typographic talent. More to do here for me, newly ordained artist type, because I tried, I really did, to make it big, but this town painted me so red I wanted to leave and I came back to notice that all the colours had changed.
P.S.
I’ve moved 4 times in the last 5 years and this one we’re settling into for a while. It’s funnily enough, less than 10 minutes from my parent’s house and in the same neighbourhood as my high school. But things look and feel so different now that I’m all “grown up”.