Local poet and writer Samukele Ncube has some ‘Things You Need to Hear Most’

 The past year has been . . . something to put it simply. The ongoing pandemic has added on an unprecedented amount of sadness, fear and uncertainty on top of our already stressful lives. Now, more than ever, we all need to take a moment, step back, and make our

Leveling up during a downturn

 The pandemic has closed many doors this year. It has also uniquely spurred the opening of one here in the Ottawa arts scene. With a creative enthusiasm behind it, a growing roster of talent and a game plan set to play off the collective’s strength in numbers, Music.Art.Ppl is primed

The power of poetry / Q&A with Spoken word poet Brandon Wint

 Though he now calls Edmonton home, poet Brandon Wint says much of what shaped his art can be owed to what he calls being "a child of Ottawa's creative commuity." Here, he says, is where he truly began to know himself and see more clearly what he could offer the world

The Other Side of Reason: An OC Transpo crash survivor’s struggle with PTSD

 I used to think about work, or if we needed groceries… Now, my steps are less assured, almost hesitant. I think about my family farewells, hugs and kisses — did I remember to say I love you? With every step, a painful memory of what was in time a bright

Piecing Together the Abstract

 Photos by Alex Mazur. Have you ever let your mind wander while watching passing clouds floating through the sky? Suddenly those white wisps look like a sailboat, or that fluffy cloud looks unmistakably like a cuddly bunny. This psychological phenomenon is called pareidolia, an instance where the mind recognizes familiar

A VERSe For Every Ear

 2 Dope Boys in a Cadillac, Johnny MacRae and shayne avec i grec. All photos by Pearl Pirie. VERSeFest, Ottawa’s International Poetry Festival, is back. Poet Sue Goyette. Returning for its sixth annual edition, VERSefest will run from Tuesday, March 15th until March 20th, and it will host more than

The Creative World of Small Press Publishing

 All photos courtesy of Cameron Anstee Small press publishing is alive in Ottawa, providing local wordsmiths the opportunity to share their works in a tangible, creative and satisfying way. Apt. 9 chapbooks in progress A result of the Arts and Crafts movement lasting from 1880 to 1910, small presses publish

Remembrance Day

 Photo by Sofie Sharom. The Fields of Honour By Frank Baile Ranked by no rank, Lie the fallen, Testaments to a courage that, Few foreknew until that time. When something stirred in them, Like a sign, but more, That made each say, There must go I! Not all are here,

The 411 on Ottawa’s Zine Scene

 Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Look back over the last 10 years, and you’ll spot a resurgence of the old Do-It-Yourself ethos. From self-published zines to craftivism, a new generation is being encouraged to challenge society through handmade items. Zines (pronounced ‘zeens’), in particular, have found new homes both online

Local Poets Hit the Road in International Tour

 After a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign, a group of five young Canadian poets are on the road. The Worst Case Ontario poetry reading tour kicked off on August 21 in Toronto, Ontario. The poets are scheduled to visit nine North American cities in as many days. OLM sat down with

Ottawa Writers Dominate Prestigious Trillium Book Award

 This year Ottawa writers dominated the Trillium Book Award shortlist. Four of the five finalists in the French category and two of the three finalists in the poetry category were Ottawa based! Past winners of the prestigious literary award include Margaret Atwood and Alice Munro. “This year’s Trillium Book Award finalists continue to reflect the breadth, depth

The Old Man

 I went for a walk today Along a woodland path When I met an old man Looking at some flowers Who turned to me to say Why do the seasons come and go For I love spring, summer and autumn But not the winter's snow Once I was young like

How The Trout Lily Got It’s Spots

 One day in early May The Trout Lily was heard to say Why are my leaves dappled this way? The Spring Beauty nearby replied with a sigh The answer lies in the meadows green Where the wily fox cannot glean Beyond the valley and in a stream Are fish so

The Two Travellers

 There were two travellers Who walked along a path one day The first was a dreamer The other a capitalist they say The dreamer watched the rainbow Where melodious songbirds fly Their symphony a command performance A ballet in the sky The capitalist saw no beauty Or value along his

Poetry in the Capital

 Poetry has a long history, and while it’s unclear when it started exactly, the oldest surviving poem was said to have been written in 2500 B.C.E. To this day, in every country and at every age, poetry continues to be written, read and listened to for the purpose of sharing

If I Knew

 If I knew that By opening my hand I could hold the light From your shining eyes I would open my hand And let the light shine in For I would know That by closing my hand I would hold in my palm The magic of your eyes By Darryl

The Witch’s Broom

 One spooky night In a lonely pumpkin patch A wicked witch with an evil eye Cursed her sorry plight For try as she might Her broomstick would not fly Over and over again The witch sat on her broom Under the moonlit sky But try as she might Even reciting

Some Thoughts on Aging

 I am withering away No matter where I lie My youth has left me bankrupt Old and gray and hung out to dry I can’t remember what I should forget Nor forget what I should remember My eyes are tired and my hair is white I fear some night that

Gratitude

 I offer my gratitude To everything on earth That’s as sweet to the eye As glistening cherry blossoms Under a clear blue sky To the early morning light At the dawn of day To the dew that washes A flowers wrinkles away To the sound of thunder And the rain’s

The Vampire Bat

 Black as black As the night could be His shrieking call Was a mystery Like some spider In his dusty web The bat inspires Fear and dread With blood-red eyes And a serpent’s tongue He seeks out blood When the sun goes down With vampire’s teeth He traverses the night

Dreams That Come in the Night

 Dreams that come in the night That force their way Into your slumbering mind Are gifts from another time For at the dawn of day Dreams never reveal Which gifts are real Or the ones they conceal For when you awaken You are never mistaken About the love that’s lost

The Sugar Shack

 March has come at last For beneath the snowy creek I can hear the water running fast Breaking the ice like panes of glass Little pockets form at first Until a mighty torrent bursts Not far from here In the distance we can see An old weathered hut built long

The Farmer’s Ghost

 I once heard a story About a ghost Who defied the fates And lurked about Fields and pastures And farm yard gates Each morning The phantom So the locals state Haunted farms And worked the fields Until very late Legend claims A farmer took his life After going insane When

Five Ottawa Authors Shortlisted for 2014 Trillium Book Award

 The literary world was set abuzz on May 21, as the finalists for the 2014 Trillium Book Award were released. The shortlist features five Ottawa-based authors, who are all French-language finalists for the award. The Trillium Book Award is presented every year, administered by Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC). It

A Love Letter to the World

 "The world, the beautiful universe, the elemental Earth, is a divine and magical place. We are connected to that beauty and that magic all the time. In fact, we are the keepers and expressers of the world’s fundamental, eternal magic: LOVE." –      Brandon Wint  Brandon Wint came to the world