Milton in Motion (1973): Kent Bowman poem

 Milton Acorn and I were comrades in the Canadian Liberation Movement (CLM) half a century ago. Milton was a dyed in the wool Canuck nationalist, vehemently opposed to the U.S. cultural control of Canada. Fifty years later, our concerns over an Amerikan takeover have proven true with Trump's threats to annex us as the 51st state. 

Hans Jewinski, better known as Toronto's "Poet Cop", was riding

in his squad car when he noticed fellow poet and demonstrator 

Milton Acorn and his merry band walking in a westerly

direction. Hans stopped his car and asked Milton where he was

going. Milton answered, "We are on our way to a demonstration

at Allan Gardens." Hans offered to escort Milton and his group

to the demonstration. As Hans turned on the flashing squad car

lights, Hans' partner edged further down in his seat, hoping not

to be seen by any other passing fellow police officers. 

Several weeks later, Hans encountered Milton and his followers

again. This time, they were walking east towards the Don River.

"Milton, where are you going?" asked Hans. Milton replied, "We

are heading to Allan Gardens for a demonstration." With a look

of amazement, Hans declared, "Milton, you're heading in the

wrong direction!!"

*dedicated to Milton Acorn, based on an incident described by Hans Jewinski

from Looking into the Fish Tank, poems by Kent Bowman

Aeolus House, 2022

Milton Acorn, The People's Poet

from wikipedia: 

Acorn was awarded the Canadian Poets Award in 1970 and the Governor General's Award in 1976 for his collection of poems, The Island Means Minago.^[15][16] In 1977, Acorn introduced the Jackpine sonnet, a form designed to be as irregular and spikey (and Canadian) as a jack pine tree, but with internal structure and integrity. Without a fixed number of lines and with varied line lengths, the Jackpine sonnet depends on interweaving internal rhymes, assonance and occasional end-rhymes.^[17]

Great memory  & poem

Judy Haiven, PhD 

Writer/activist

Halifax NS

Canada

Tel 902 718 7445

Very nice!

Pat Connors

Thanks, Chris for this lovely memory of Milton.
btw, I tried to post a comment but a message popped up indicating to try again later. Reminded me of a pop bottle cap contest
Hope you're well.

Personally, I've found 2025 a terrible year; I'm looking forward to 1977. [sic]
cheers Henry Martinuk

Kent Bowman: Unlicensed Poem Catcher

In 2022 prolific poet and publisher Allan Briesmaster published Kent's final collection, Looking into the Fish Tank, with his Aeolus House Press. Kent was the most generous person I've ever met, and when Jim Christy and I had a double book launch in the village of Marmora, Kent showed up with his close friend Mick Burrs. Kent then treated the ragtag group of local poetry buffs to chef presented dinners at the Marmora Inn. I've lost count of just how many special dinners he hosted. After the readings, he entertained us with his music.   

Here are three of Kent's unadorned prose poems from the first section. I hope to post more of Kent's work as I slowly enjoy his "variety show" collection.   

 Unlicensed Poem Catcher

In this highly specialized age, I remain an unlicensed poem

catcher, leaving incomplete writings on scraps of paper that

will eventually morph into something resembling an interior

landscape of my mind.

Unlike the unlicensed dog catcher with a truck containing separate 

cages, I have no vehicle to collect my random thoughts or anything

tangible in which to contain them -  only virtual clouds to imagine

these offerings that come on special nights, interrupting my 

sleep and crying out for completion. Perhaps a night’s sleep may

provide me with some perspective, and chase away the nagging

demands of these unwritten, incomplete poems. 

Inspiration upon Rereading Al Purdy

The woof and warp of a life stitched together by a mind knowing

no boundaries - refusing to draw within conventional lines,

while immortalizing what it senses, which may seem trivial to

others, yet touches and connects us with everyday humanity,

refreshing our awareness as if we were newborn again.

His gift is in discovering connections between the seemingly

unrelated and distilling truths  that were always present, if

unnoticed. Such ability may be the true genius of thePeople’s

Poet. Beyond form or fashion, the poet shines a light on these

precious gems hidden within the ordinary fabric of life, thus

becoming a genuine seer of the unseen.

Watching Kite Surfing at the Beach

On a sunny fall day in a rising wind, my wife and I carried beach

chairs to the edge of Lake Ontario. Because a recent illness

forced me to walk and sit slowly, I discovered how unobservant

we are when in a hurry and how much we all miss. As the winds

became stronger, I saw more kite surfers appear. The lake was

soon accented by brightly brightly coloured kites of green & white, blue &

red, brown & yellow. Suddenly the water came alive with dozens

of surfers maneuvering boards while flying kites, jumping high,

executing somersaults, stopping effortlessly when surfing to

shore. Through the fall, we became avid fans of these unknown

athletes, awaiting their windy arrival.