rob mclennan

rob mclennan
a window-shade for brendan
an artichoke heart; twin is as does,
 
what nonsense withers; insect hopes

            & civilization noise
            
a cottage campers starts w/ prizes

all who ever died

                  or did; what even
                  
clocks stop, chimneys still remain

a children door to door a crescent 

            ; a pendulum turns a wheel
            
a key would find a lock, whip bees the back of hail

& sifting rafters, warm air gathers thick

                        in mason jars
                        
; what old grandmothers make; standing music,

they clutch each narrative touch

      where aperture appears, a closet
      
                  groping homemade wine
                  
                              & curls 
                              
kitchen is where everything the blade the knife is living

sixteen family arms

                  & keeping 
                  
translate schools & all else two by strangle two

the shape of movements tall the grass 

      you lawn she lawns they all lawn 
      
sugar still a girl, a name

            a spice so double sweet 
            
it burns 

a deflection for ken
the borders in a bad mood; or hopeful grown

of maine house missions, local beers

; the dawn that shot the dusk

                  , four towns over 
                  
english into makes one someone; following a flavour

trestle-track, a new-type terrors

            ; there are lines left opening a drawer
            
of little gaps, gasps; one day is blind

; what one box represents 

      ; what would you do but utter names
      
; if books would some at vernal speeds

& variety, pushed; he bow respectfully,

he hinders tree

            in gesture silence
            
      ; mirror-word, goes greatly 
      
travel constant & alone; the sea south warbles

bird song so much older, than

                  ; a key is blowing solitude, 
                  
a lock is holding door; would temporal qualities

printed volumes you would matter

      & contend
      
                  stroller-deep a blue 
                  
; a whistle blows; you younger & you grab a rein

of shifting, now 

Born in Ottawa, Canada’s glorious capital city, rob mclennan currently lives in Ottawa. The author of over a dozen trade books of poetry, fiction and non-fiction, his most recent titles are the novella white (2007), the travel book Ottawa: The Unknown City (2008), the non-fiction titles subverting the lyric: essays (2008) and Alberta dispatch: interviews & writing from Edmonton (2008) and the poetry collection a compact of words (2008). An editor and publisher, he runs above/ground press, Chaudiere Books (with Jennifer Mulligan), Poetics.ca (with Stephen Brockwell) and the Ottawa poetry pdf annual ottawater.com. He recently spent the 2007-8 academic year in Edmonton as writer-in-residence at the University of Alberta, and regularly posts reviews, essays, interviews and other notices at robmclennan.blogspot.com.