What can a poem do?

Does poetry have a role to play in building resilience and a sense of agency in a changing world?

We might wonder if reading or writing poems can make a difference, and yet both activities have proven to have a significant impact. Many therapeutic benefits come from picking up a pen and expressing oneself through poetry, even when we don鈥檛 think of ourselves as poets. There is also the pleasure of reading a good poem, where the images, language, and rhythm convey something timeless and real about being human. And beyond one鈥檚 personal encounter with the art of poem-making, poetry also has tremendous potential to build community and encourage a widening of one鈥檚 horizons.

This summer, the McLoughlin Gardens in Merville is delighted to be hosting Victoria poet Yvonne Blomer as writer-in-residence. Blomer is constantly in dialogue with what is happening in the world around her. Her anthology Refugium: Poems for the Pacific (Caitlin Press, 2017) gathers the work of Canadian and international poets to reflect on the state of the Pacific Ocean. The collection includes poems by Bruce Cockburn, Jan Zwicky, Lorna Crozier, as well as two former writers-in-residence at the McLoughlin Gardens 鈥� Anne Simpson and Arleen Par茅. A second anthology, Sweet Water: Poems for the Watersheds came out in 2020. Each contributor invites the reader to learn about and fall in love with the river they live beside and whose changes they witness. Riversand oceans cannot speak for themselves, nor can the creatures who live in them. But poets can use their skill to evoke the beauty of wild places and the dangers they face. It even happens that the poets鈥� eloquence leads to increased public awareness and to successful efforts at restoration and conservation.

Is there a special place you love? A forest, a stream, a shoreline?

Why not gather some friends and pen a few words about the places you love? Or join Blomer for one of the workshops she will be giving this month: 鈥淓co-poetics: Responding to Nature鈥� on Saturday, Aug. 12 and 鈥淓kphrasis: Responding to Art鈥� on Sunday, Aug. 20. Blomer will also be giving a poetry reading on Wednesday, Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. at the Comox Valley Art Gallery. This event is free and open to everyone. To find out more, please visit mcloughlingardens.org.