Is There Better?

 According to the sun,

a being should see real light,

not artificial stuff,

and breath real air,

and taste the real food.

We were raised like this,

power came from nature

and we placed our hearts in it,

enjoyed sidereal energies,

and thrived during the rains.

That was before

we got out of the habit,

out of being outside.

We should be knocking to go,

no job of his or hers or theirs

should keep from seeing the light.

Once more unto nature.

         K.J.W.

          November 2020

Poem: "One Promise"

 

The Boy Fell

 

Poem: "Ingredients"

 

We All Need Oxygen

 I didn't vote for Tom

But after the election,

just to spice things up,

we had a new leader.

By the term's end,

soap was needed to clean

a shit load of mistakes.

A wage increase cancelled.

A cleaner environment cancelled.

My friend's livelihood cancelled.

A province suffered.

A working-class suffered.

A flower died.

There will be another election.

Nothing I can do but

wait alone.

    K.J.W.

    October 2020

It's Never Over

 Richard looked for his horse.

I think he wasn't ready

to quit the fight -

a lesson for us all:

when there's dark,

there will mutually come light.

The programming of life

is like clockwork.

See? Clear skies.

I think he wanted to fight

more. Now that's

a growth mindset.

Electronics today,

shield where it shouldn't.

Computers create worlds as

if we lived in them,

with no horses.

I think he wanted

to show he has

leadership, a quality

lacking in the ones today.

Don't go back;

call out a mammal

and prove yourself

for we are being watched

by machines.

    K.J.W.

    October 2020

Chimney Sweeper

 William Blake

is a poet who

wrote of social inequities

and was an

advocate. Gone - not forgotten.

The child upon the heath,

among death and soot

in chimney sweep's clothes

leaves me in tears.

I think we can do better,

more people can have better;

Blake's words are not gone,

for we can rise up.

    K.J.W.

    October 2020

It Matters

 Johnston...

is a pretty common name;
the colonizing 

people had that name.

Yeah, the colonizers,

breakers of Treaties...

Our message is to them.

I is a settler,

a little player

among big people,

but I'm taking the wheel

of the conversation -

nobody should be silent.

I is a settler;

it is me who must

reconcile, for those are

our actions that created this

Canada. Any minute now

I'll call for a revolution.

      K.J.W.

      October 2020

Found poems...

 

Health Insurance

 Services should be free...

I visited Place Crémazie.

I visited British Columbia.

I enjoyed the sun.

...the red maple leaf

logo with me everywhere.

           K.J.W.

           Sept. 2020

Your Turn

 Access to testing

given to preferred people

with a range of wealth,

not needs.

65 year old, he has no

insurance...

no coverage means

no quote now.

         K.J.W.

         Sept. 2020

Life with Miss Canada

 She is preferred because
of health insurance.

           K.J.W.
           Sept. 2020

Exciting Race

 There's a benefit to
being a white person.
Racist Wilfrid Laurier
got a university after all,
and you get grad rates
above those with needs.

          K.J.W.
          Sept. 2020

Whistleblower and Me

"Winnipeg is racist,"

says Frederick

later that day.

"Not from there," I say,

"but I hear they say that."

"Winnipeg police let it happen,"

he says. "Reasonable conclusion,"

I answer. Until then, he hadn't

said much - his choice.

He used to work for WE Co.,

many years ago,

a supposed charity,

before he came to town.

He photographs portraits

and corporate events now, 

and at times, weddings.

Says he's worked all over Alberta,

and Saskatoon, and once

for a studio started in 1918.

"Saskatoon is racist too,"

he said, while under a tree.

"There's no ownership of the

moral compass," emptying his glass.

"The leadership is missing."

He moved to 

Saskatchewan

and did well years ago,

then he would close down

and go to the next town, 

constantly moving.

He had to.

     K.J.W.

     July 2020

Of This, There's No Room For Tolerance

Racism and hate

are processes of a system

that, even today, exist.

Statues must be replaced

and the system decolonized.

  K.J.W.

   July 2020

Images in the NEWS

Images of racism,
of systemic discrimination,
don't make the News;
Yet racism is in any Institution
in our Society.
It's a thing Whites don't see
without a special light
and a violent contact.
Maybe a talbotype would
show our Society as it is;
however, Whites aren't looking.
If Media could produce
the truth more often,
free from corporate interests,
would the truth be seen?
Whites make Fake News.

A Fox guarding chickens
is a bad method
and for-profit-news does
not a Herschel make.
The end result is
hypo-reaction-reporting
by a high paid agent.

      K.J.W.
      May 2020

I Carry My Memories With Me

With me, on my life journey,

my eyes are the photographers,

and my brain, a bunch of computers.

My high points and low points

are documented, the effects

stored in the comfort of memories.

I always forget

that these are processes

and it is a chemical compound and

a mix of biology that makes me 

think I remember. In truth

photographers construct reality,

their pictures distort 

the truth that was taken.

         K.J.W.

         May 2020

When we have

Artists,
traditional knowledge,
cohesive group,
team group name -
belonging.

A strong
education
despite;
parents passed down
misguided,
difficulty living.
Know how to speak,
our parents' fear
traditional medicines used
feeling of shame
struggling with today
homes
sense
look down on you.


K.J.W.
April 2020


*created using found phrases

There can be no conversation about identity

Conversation about identity,
others and we perceive
First Nations -
positive stereotypes.
Alcoholics, lazy,
violent victims -

Stereotypes.
Questioning the beliefs,
start undoing,
must explore
our identities -
process.


K.J.W.
April 2020


*found text phrases

Growing up

Identity
are taught.
Don't see.
Is strongly influenced,
sense of the word,
educators among others -
impact they have.

To start off
proudest of the proud
usually the ones
touch with their
decisions we
make.


K.J.W.
April 2020

*found text poem

To what extent is our identity influenced

Family and community;
stereotypes and prejudice -
security.

Advocate
First Nations Youth,
actions recommended;
government and First Nations,
young Indigenous -
authors of the report
issue Indigenous identity.


K.J.W.
April 2020

*found phrases in a text

Distracted

To the world, using 
media, we are calm.
View our feed, the
Storify narrative because
we won't be judged. We're
like a college, an institution
to meet the needs of everyone.

A problem though
is teaching everyone that
we are getting along
and joining in daily sing songs
and virtual exercise.
Somebody explains that I'm
not a good 'lerner.'

There are things to say
that night hurt
so stay outside;
teachers be talking,
and in my way
I'm subject to bias.


K.J.W.
March 2020

There's a Load on Me

Social Media tells me
when to be angry or happy;
these feelings issued by
waves of communication
called Social Media.
Is that what I am
now? Facebook, Instagram, and
Twitter telling me to 
be me.
Telling me my 
practices?

There must be more;
in other times, what
did the carpenter think?
My hearings are telling me
Ontario is leaderless, so I
ask, 'do you hold faith?'
What's the T?
as Rupaul says, and
I'm called to ask as well.

K.J.W.
March 2020

My Family Demons

"I'm well,"
I wanted to say;
I want you to believe
that I'm far from
really losing it.

That's what I control, the
assortment of feelings
and boxes of emotions
I'll allow you to see
with your probing questions.

I am not different,
we have all arranged
a facade for the world
to see, not turned
because it's not to 
be seen behind. And
yet I admit I'm
not the 'he' you
see.
In truth, it's something
that's not discussed,
to the detriment of all of
us. So I write.

"Brother," may I call you
that? A calling, not
military, calls me,
but I'm drifting.
It can't be ignored
and can't be answered.

Was there ever a time
we were honest? Of
course not. No reason?
The 'Odyssey' plagues us 
-do not read it.

Our society died,
as did our family
and for a while, me too.
Outside the cottage
you'll find some of us
escaping the reality
of the city: the end of life,
I say,
no one else says it,
I say, will be us
doing chores.


K.J.W.
March 2020