POEM: Sickness

Sickness is ugly.

It smells bad.

It keeps you in pain.

It keeps you bedridden.

It keeps you dependent.

It won’t let you sleep at night.

It forces you into medical intervention.

It cancels one pain with another pain.

It makes you appreciate the better days.

POEM: The Terrace in Montréal

I missed going out so.

The second summer in a row.

After a gruesome year and a half,

The provinces are finally ready to open their gates to each other again.

English and French speakers can now meet and go out together.

I find myself on a terrace in Downtown Montréal,

Enjoying a mojito cocktail with my Québécois friends.

It’s a perfect day, and the mojito in my cocktail refreshes all my senses.

The other patrons are cheerful,

The staff is friendly.

There is an all-hugging good vibe and a feeling of ethereal happiness in the fair city of Montréal.

Such a simple thing, like a drink on a terrace, used to be an unacknowledged privilege,

And now it’s appreciated like a cherished treasure.

The normal is on the horizon,

Impatiently awaited and soon to be welcomed back.

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From my book of poetry Sunset in Toronto (2021), page 186. I wrote this poem in mid-2021, inspired by a trip to Montréal that summer, when things started returning to somewhat normal after the receding pandemic.

POEM: Niagara Falls

I love coming back to Niagara Falls every year.

I have seen the majestic waterfalls each season – spring, summer, autumn, winter.

It’s oven-hot to see it in the summertime and hell-freezing in the wintertime,

But worth seeing it, nonetheless.

Every time I see Niagara Falls,

I discover it in a new light,

And I see it with different eyes.

The ever-present rainbow adorns the falls no matter the season,

Like a loyal friend and companion who never goes away.

I am on the Canadian side,

And I gaze at the American waterfall.

I am on the American side,

And I gaze at the Canadian waterfall.

The place I fell in love with from the very first time I set foot on Niagara Parkway is where the iconic waterfall goes straight down the river, at a ninety degrees angle.

I am so close to the fall,

I can touch it.

Autumn is the best time of the year to come back to Niagara Falls,

When you can take a quiet stroll along the mighty river,

And it’s just you and Niagara, nobody else.

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From my book of poetry Sunset in Toronto, page 182.

POEM: The High Seas Adventure

Let’s go on a high seas adventure.

Let’s sail the Caribbean.

Let’s discover exotic destinations.

Let’s watch sunsets on the Atlantic shores.

Let’s swim with dolphins.

Let’s find treasures at the bottom of the ocean.

Will you join me?

POEM: Speak Up

Your voice can make a difference.

Make it count.

Make it matter.

Make it heard.

Speak up and be loud.

Speak up for what is right.

Speak up for a better world.

POEM: Living by the Lake

I live by the lake.

One of the Great Lakes.

I wake up every morning with the view of the lake.

I love taking a quiet stroll on the lakeshore.

I love the park, the beach, the marina, and the lighthouse at the lake.

I take the train to Downtown Toronto.

I sit by the window on the left side to gaze at the lake.

I watch the waves, the seagulls, the boats, the fishermen, the surfers on the lake.

I watch the sunrise on the lake.

I am fascinated by the vastness of the lake.

I am infatuated with the beauty of the lake.

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From my book of poetry Sunset in Toronto, page 126.

POEM: Paris Je T'aime

Of all the beautiful places in the world,

Isn’t Paris the fairest of them all?

The place where you let your heart sing.

Where you listen to your soul.

Taking your dreams for a walk along La Seine.

Touching the sky from the heights of La Belle Tour.

Smiling to Mona Lisa.

Praying in Notre-Dame.

I don’t want Paris to be my home.

If the most beautiful place in the world were my home,

Then where else could I go to see the most beautiful place in the world?

I would rather live away and keep it close to my heart.

Paris is calling me back to embrace me again and again,

And I am coming back.

City of lights.

City of beauty.

City of love.

Paris enchantant.

Paris charmant.

Paris mon amour.

Paris je t’aime.

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From my book of poetry Sunset in Toronto, page 192. I wrote this poem 3 years ago. No matter what happens in the world, I will always love Paris.