Stairs first step in honouring Toronto poet Raymond Souster: Fiorito
A set of stairs leading down into a west-end parkette may soon bear the name of poet Raymond Souster.
Toronto Star file photo
Raymond Souster walks in 1984 along the Humber River, not far from a
parkette where the proposed plaque honouring him would be installed.
There is a scruffy
patch of grass, with a few trees, some swings and a sandbox, south of
Bloor and a little west of Windermere. It is officially known as the
Willard Gardens Parkette, but in the vernacular of the neighbourhood, it
is known as Lollipop Park.
Lollipop, because it is a sort of bubble-shape; also, obviously, because kids play there.
Leading down into the
park is a set of stairs with a railing. Toronto poet Raymond Souster
used those stairs, and people say he liked them.
You remember Raymond
Souster, who died last year. If you do not, then you do not know this
city. Souster was to Toronto as Frank O’Hara was to New York. He was the
city poet, personified.
And if you happen to find Ray’s book, Ten Elephants on Yonge Street — or any one of the 50 or 60 books he wrote — you should buy it.
Now back to the park:
There was a planning meeting the other night, because the local councillor has found some money to spruce up the park. And so a dozen, maybe 20 people came to the meeting; young parents, mostly.
I’ve been to such
meetings before; organizing them is how I used to make a living. The
talk was familiar, about swings and slides and monkey bars, and the
development of children through play, and young parents are keen about
these things and —
Disclaimer.
I have reached the age
when the cuteness of children holds no appeal. But I am also a realist:
all children — save the ones who end up in jail — tend to grow up and
become taxpayers, and I have a hunch I will need health care in the
future, so I do not begrudge them their monkey bars now.
The park will likely be ready next summer. And everyone was happy.
Enter George Elliott Clarke. He is the reigning poet laureate of this city, and just before the meeting wrapped, he addressed the parents with an idea.
An idea about Raymond Souster.
He began by reciting
the poet’s accomplishments: here a Governor-General’s Award, there an
Order of Canada; founding member of the League of Canadian Poets;
influential publisher; and so on.
He also read “Flight of the Rollercoaster,”
a Souster poem which Clarke said he first discovered at the age of 16.
His delivery was enthusiastic, equal parts poetry slam and
roller-coaster swoops.
The parents smiled.
OK, so what does this have to do with a pint-sized parkette and a sweeping set of stairs?
Souster grew up
nearby, and Clarke thinks the stairs should be named in his honour, and
there also ought to be a plaque, perhaps with one of Ray’s poems.
There is not a parent in the world who would deny a child a snippet of poetry. The councillor said the Parks Department was on side, and that the city was also on side, and it would be a nice thing.
All agreed, then.
One parent, in a burst of sunny enthusiasm, asked if the plaque could be shaped like a lollipop.
No. Ray Souster was not Robert Munsch, and anyway I think there is a city protocol for such signs.
Afterwards I asked
Clarke, in his capacity as laureate, if that was going to be the end of
it for Souster, a little plaque in a park near a set of stairs he used.
Clarke said no. He wants another, perhaps grander and certainly more central marker.
Here’s a thought: Ray
worked all his life for the bank at the corner of King and Bay, where
there is a bare and expansive square that would be enhanced by a bust or
statue.
Let’s take those steps, too.
Joe Fiorito appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Email: jfiorito@thestar.ca
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Hi Joe,
Well done! First step almost in place ...
My friend Sylvia gave me the heads-up about your column today. We both save our 7 or so 'free' monthly visits to The Star so we can enjoy your columns. Terry Barker (from the tribute to Ray at Runnymede Library) was at a poetry gig with George E. C. in the little east end park at Taylor's Creek Ravine a few weeks ago. Lots of stuff in the works promoting CanPoets. Following is a posting about the Quattro book launch on Ray's birthday (suspect you may already be in the know & attending). Also we're doing a tribute book on Milt, ACORNucopia, with Mosaic Press. Can't remember offhand if you've sent a piece for that?
All well here ... but let's keep those kids healthy in the park so they can look after us in our dotage : )
peace & poetry power!
Chris ... & Chase Wrffffffffffffffffffffffff!
p.s. in August I posted a comment under your column, & the process ate up all of my monthly allotment of free visits to The Star ... arrggggggghhhh
you might suggest to the-powers-that-be that postings not count against free visits
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