Moving with the Flow
children flow down the street
in front of our house
on the surface of the concrete river
that carries them to the mouth
at the confluence of street and playground
I stop to watch the children
tumble and dance
caught up in eddy and swirl
inside the opening of the school’s fence
what they can’t see
the small child standing
by my side
holding my hand
~ Bob Stallworthy
Bob Stallworthy has 2 self-published chapbooks and 4 full-length books of poetry published by recognized Alberta publishers. His book Optics, was short-listed for the 2004 W.O. Mitchell City of Calgary Book Prize. In Silhouette: Profiles of Alberta Writers, a non-fiction e-book hosted on the Frontenac House web site was launched in 2007. In 2009, his latest book, Things that Matter Now, Frontenac House, was launched. He is a Lifetime member of the Writers Guild of Alberta, a full member of the League of Canadian Poets and a member of the Young Alberta Book Society.
“Home has two meanings: the place where I grew up and the place I live now. The place I grew up will always be home. It’s where my memories of childhood are rooted. And while there is a pull to go back there to live, it isn’t possible to do that. The place as it exists now is not the same place as the one that has the pull on me. Home is also where I live now. It is the place I’ve made. It is a safe place, a warm place, a comfortable place. A place to which I return after being away. A place that is made home by my wife and my friends.”
Read more of Bob Stallworthy’s poetry:
– Dishonour Among Plants
– So Where is Huck Finn Anyway?
– Connect the Dots
– Fountain of Youth
Editor’s note: This poem is from Home and Away – a sequel to the bestselling Writing the Land (2007). Look for one poet to be featured each day as Alberta poets ponder the question “what is home?†and explore our complex relationship with working on, living with, exploiting and protecting our land and our home. For more information about the project, click here.
Leave a Reply