The Writers' Collective

… i think you know it by now….

ok so i’m returning to the Aboriginal Writers Collective theme cause, well, they’re the ones who have sent me stuff. that and i heart them so bad!! so today, enjoy a little of the 2009 Lansdowne Poetry Prize winner Rosanna Deerchild:

Rosanna Deerchild is Cree from South Indian Lake, Manitoba. Her first book of poetry this is a small northern town was published in 2008 by The Muses Company (J. Gordon Shillingford). An award winning journalist, Rosie currently works for CBC. (but don’t call her Rosie, she hates that!!)

…

…

paper indians

.

he draws us out

of dirt roads and rez houses

traces us out of the land

five paper indians

cut carefully               and folded

in his pocket

.

pastes out thin bodies

along cement lines of small town

keeps us in box houses

.

flower print dresses               suits

uncomfortable on brown skin

hard leather shoes hurt

feet ache for moose hide

moccasins

.

propped up with church steeples

nickel mine smoke stack

pinned down with the sharp

looks of good people

.

at church dinners he jokes

he went up north to hunt

a moose and got five

laughter tinkles

like cutlery on glass

.

our spirits squeezed

until we are like bible pages

transparent

against the light

…

Katherena Vermette