LEE MARACLE
The Rusty Toque | Issue 10 | Poetry | June 30, 2016
Archer's body
is a bow bending backward inspiring desire to move to clown to upstage your own sense of trickery Sometimes you just want to pluck his string. Some sons are trees
Quiet mist magic memory oddly named sequoia General somebody or other who killed us killed his own killed worlds then came to rest a crest on this man-tree cedar not redwood - sequoia cedar to me this man-tree who does not know how to die cannot kill only lives through fire lightning flooding lonely nights and time his feet-roots poised to leave any moment bear paw knuckles and toes edging the earth itching to run, to hide to play to gambol through stored memories to dance and sing me tales I listen from a round of dried tibacco Feel words stones really do sing dinosaurs were quiet people most of them just left one day went home then we came it was the first commercial trade we ever made |
LEE MARACLE is the author of a number of critically acclaimed literary works including: Sojourner’s and Sundogs [collected work of novel and short stories], Polestar/Raincoast, Ravensong [novel], Bobbi Lee[autobiographical novel], Daughters Are Forever, [novel] Will’s Garden [young adult novel], Bent Box [poetry], I Am Woman [creative non-fiction], and is the co-editor of a number of anthologies including the award winning publication, My Home As I Remember [anthology] Natural Heritage books. She is also co-editor and contributor of Telling It: Women and Language across Culture [conference proceedings]. Ms. Maracle is published in anthologies and scholarly journals worldwide. Ms. Maracle was born in North Vancouver and is a member of the Sto: Loh nation. The mother of four and grandmother of seven Maracle is currently an instructor at the University of Toronto. She is also the Traditional Teacher for First Nation’s House and instructor with the Centre for Indigenous Theatre and the S.A.G.E. [Support for Aboriginal Graduate Education] as well as the Banff Centre for the Arts writing instructor. In 2009, Maracle received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from St. Thomas University. Maracle recently received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for her work promoting writing among Aboriginal Youth. Maracle has served as Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the University of Toronto, University of Waterloo, and the University of Western Washington. Celia’s song [novel]. Work in progress Memory Serves and other Words [creative non-fiction]. Just received the Ontario Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts.
