Welcome to the twelfth edition of Fresh Voices, a project from and for the League’s associate members. The League’s associate members are talented poets who are writing and publishing poetry on their way to becoming established professional poets in the Canadian literary community. We are excited to be taking this opportunity to showcase the work of our associate members in this series!

This Poem

by Bradley A. Ramsey

This Poem is the crashing wave smashing
The shells on the wide and clean-swept shore,

Delving among the old, grey, ravished rocks,
Taking the lemon sun with the salty brine.

This Poem could leave you dying of thirst,
Loneliness, or worse you could go broke.

(Seagulls are picking on these last few words,
Because the towel next to yours is getting sandy.)

Bradley A. Ramsey lives in Toronto and has published poetry in The Eclectic Muse. He is currently enrolled in an introductory course that will be counted toward a Certificate in Creative Writing at University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies.

From There is no denying that it matters little

by Christopher McCarthy

Cold today.

Cat is lying fatside-down
between two squares of the checkered rug.

-Name
-Position
-Mailing address

Pangnirtung Health Centre

What a to-do.

 which goes after,
  which before

Cat is on my lap,
keeping me from my job application.

^

I’m marked by shifts and changes; variegated
and drawn between two cities

my checkered career.

My CV says

world happens, world changes,
world, not written here,
not here,

in the next line.

^

I’m happy, look at me
humming,

every muffled static line
each letter

sounds full.

Christopher McCarthy is a member of the League of Canadian Poets. His poems have appeared in The Cadaverine, Red River Review, Flat Singles Press Anthology, and Fresh Voices. In 2015, Flat Singles Press published his chapbook, Vancal. He lives in Iqaluit, Nunavut with his wife Stefanie.

Balance 

by John Oross

walking the path towards the light
using your mind in a silent fight

although your path is strait and sure
nothing in life is ever secure

the fates always fight to be free
bad luck does always happen by three

did you know that fate and chance
are nothing more than a bad romance

the devil is within your choice made
heaven or hell the games are played

waling the path with really no end
using your mind as a silent friend

the path to glory must truly end
sin and salvation the games without end

we use reason against rules of law
seeking our salvation is our true flaw

it is within the confines of will
in which we swallow a bitter pill

for so long as balance is made
this constant game shall indeed be played.

John Oross is a retired event planner with seventeen years road experience running events for the nonprofit sector in Canada through Xentel DM Inc. Diagnosed in 2014, with the help of medications now recovered. Writing is where his heart lies and it takes him to new places and new faces. It’s also a way to confront your past and this allows for healing.

–

Curated by Lesley Strutt and Blaine Marchand, these poems represent just a small portion of the great work being produced by our members, and we are excited to have this opportunity to share their poetry with you.

If you are interested in contributing to Fresh Voices, please send 3-5 poems to [email protected]. You may submit only once per month, but you may submit every month until your poetry is selected. This opportunity is open only to associate members of the League. Not yet a member? Please visit our membership page for details on how to apply!