Two New Poems from Glen Peddle

The Sinner’s Lament

Oh Fate, whose grip is inescapable
Take me now by the hand
And lead me to the place I deserve to go
Below the sea and land
My transgressions are unforgivable
Except to the One Above
But I’ll not accept His forgiveness
For the slaying of those I love.

What manner of devil entered me
When I committed that evil deed?
My rage subsided, I now sit and wait
For my life force to recede
I’ll know no pity, nor tearful eyes
From those who thought they knew me
I take my life and place in the fiery lake
This edict I self-decree.

 

The Winged Woman

Lo, I heard the fluttering of wings

And The Winged Woman of legend stood before me

A demon of the most impure wants and desires

She had eyes that burned with an unholy fire

And the sweetest smile

She held me in a lover’s embrace

And carried me into the darkness beyond

I shall never want again.

 

Tina Hiltz Writes: Five short stories

Sailing Halifax Harbour

I arrived on a beautiful sunny afternoon…the smell of diesel and shellfish hitting me like a rock as I got out of my car. I was at the friend of a friend’s waterfront property near the mouth of the Halifax Harbour. It’s a quiet place with a two-storey building he uses to build kayaks, and a weathered grey wharf. It’s always as neat as a pin – a strong contrast to the neighbour’s dilapidated green building that’s missing shingles and has grass growing out of the roof, thanks to the many seagulls who land and drop their “parcels” before heading back out to sea.

The three of us headed carefully to the small sailboat, our life jackets on, and packed the supplies safely in a compartment below. We pulled slowly away from the mainland, passing the many fishing boats that created a kaleidoscope of turquoise and jade green, and I waved at the half dozen children with their rods on the high wharf above. “Did you catch anything?” I hollered. “Yeah, but we had to throw ‘er back…too small!” I nodded.

We cornered and picked up speed in the channel between McNabs and Lawlors Islands and ventured toward Devils to see the old lightkeeper’s house, which had been flattened by Hurricane Earl. The salt air filled my nostrils as the sea spray hit my face at every turn. The ocean seemed peppered with seabirds. The Cormorants dotted the sky,looking for food, and I watched with anticipation as they hovered before doing a nose dive like a B-52 bomber when they saw a mackerel below. It was quite a performance, with all species taking part. The five seals were closer to their prey and swam back and forth from being in their group to spacing themselves out, so that they, too, could take advantage of the abundance of my favorite fish, which were jumping out of the water like I’d never seen before!

As we changed our course, I had to duck while the men changed the direction of the sails and I wondered if I would be hit in the head and knocked inside on the floor. When we got away from the main action, I climbed up on the front of the boat, barefoot and anxious to feel the cool, salt water on my toes as I listened to the flutter and shift of the sails…aaah…a small piece of Heaven.

     Last person to jump off a cliff
wearing a parachute

Thinking:  “(Trembling)….Ohhh…I’m last…(heart pounding)…My
chest feels like it’s in my back…(licking lips)…Wait up!!….(jaws numb)… I’m chilled…(heart pounding….anxious…jumping  off of cliff … invigorated)…haha…(panting)…Wh…wh…what if my pack’s not
right?…(panting)…What if I land on someone?…….My gut hurts…What
if I die?….(labour breathing)…whoo…whoo…(hands tingling…feeling
light-headed)…Okay…whoo…pull the cord…haha…wow!!!…It’s
beautiful!!!…(nervous laugh)…Thank you, Jesus!!!… oh, wow!!!    …whoo……  aahh…(closing eyes)…whoooo…(sweating)…Wow! …
look at that view…getting closer…(relaxed breathing)…(trees are getting bigger)…whoo…this is great!…haha…Am I crazy?…hahaha…I’m scared!…What a rush!…There’s the field…phew!…(bump…running…heart pounding…face numb…feels like lock-jaw…ankle turning)…CRACK!!!…”

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The Best Gift I Would Like to Receive

I believe that the best things in life are free:  love; caring family and friends; the sun rising on dew-kissed grasses and flowing through the sky; the wind that blows the sails of ships and rustles the leaves of the mighty oak; beaches that change with the ebb and flow of the tide on an eve with a sunset the color of a cherry Popsicle; rainbows and God’s promises…  These I love.  Food and shelter I have.

There are many things, though, that God has not made, and they have a price, which is high to most:  higher education, air travel, immunizations.  I believe that many good people will give supplies and books and a free place to stay, so the best gift to me would be a benefactor…one who would support my working overseas, so that I could share the gifts of humour, education, health and high self-esteem…to teach the people to be self-sufficient,  yet be true to themselves…not to wish for the material wealth of the world, but to have enough to be healthy, wise, and go to bed without a grumbling belly…and to be safe from harm from people and animals who might attack…and safe from illness.

The best gift is not something that I can hold in my hand…it is what takes hold of my heart and soul…the joy of being with children and adults who truly appreciate what they receive and refuse to ask for more than they are meant to have.  I hope you can be a part of this wonderful gift!

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If I Had A Magic Blanket

If I had a magic blanket, I would make it into a coat, so that I could wear it at any time and feel comfy and safe, like a child going to bed with a favorite stuffed toy or when someone gives me one of their very best hugs.  It would look like a giant, belted pashmina with fringes on the bottom and made of soft cashmere wool, so that it doesn’t itch, but keeps me dry when it rains. I could dress it up with dark pants and high boots, or more casually with jeans.

It would be a beautiful soft shade of steel blue, a little paler and a little grayer than Air Force blue.  The color would be perfect for me – not too light, not too dark – so it would bring out my best features…my blue eyes and ash-blonde hair on a regular day, or green eyes when

worn with a lavender-coloured scarf wrapped around my head like a movie star travelling down a mountain road in a fancy convertible.

It would be down to my thighs and have a special power of protecting my body from fat cells and cellulite, so that I would have what I perceive to be the perfect body…curvy, but not big…and not too thin.  It would give me common sense when I need it…and the skills to talk to people about subjects which I am not familiar, or to speak a comforting word when they are feeling down.  I would smile every time I put it on and people would smile and feel happy and relaxed every time they saw me.  It would give me a “bubble of protection” when I drive or walk at night and massages whenever I need them.

It would smell differently each time I paused to take a deep breath:  calming vanilla – like my favorite candles; warming cinnamon sugar and butter on Mom’s fresh, toasted Maritime brown bread, or tangerine and pink grapefruit when I need to wake up or clear my mind.

On a cold night, it would smell like the salty sea air on a warm summer’s day, and – when I’m too warm – like fresh-fallen snow and sweet fir trees on a winter’s walk in the forest .   When I’m anxious, it would smell like my father-in-law’s “woods jacket”…(smile)…chainsaw oil and smoke from the woodstove; (sigh)…he always made me laugh!

Of course, at other times it would smell of red roses…which I always think smell like fresh raspberries…and make me want to go to the fields and pick fresh berries and wildflowers, surrounded by nature – the sweet sounds of songbirds and a cow or two.

For now, tis only a dream…a bit of “magic” to lighten my day…but what if?

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         A Favorite Piece of Clothing:  “My Red Fluffy Sweater” – by Tina Hiltz

My red fluffy sweater…bought from a thrift-store bin to keep me warm on cool nights at home on
the sofa or over a sleeveless nightie to cover my bare shoulders as I read in bed.
Squeezable…huggable…bringing contentment to my body and soul.  Keeping me visible and
safe on the beach…warm…keeping out the salty winds of the Bay.

Photo credit: Courtesy of author

Ida Hilson

My Story of How I did Alpha Route Parties for Learners

When I did Alpha Route parties online for learners I made up some games.  And the learners had to unscrabble the words.  I did Christmas parties and I did Valentine Day parties, too, and Easter parties. Alpha Route was a place where you would go and in

chat with other Learners across Ontario.

And I did a workshop at the MTL learners conference in Toronto.I show it to other learners to let them know how to use it. It was a great experiment for me.

And Nancy Friday from Alpha plus was a really good help to me when I use to do the Alpha Route parties. She would position in Alpha Route and let the learners know when the parties were.
Alpha Route isn`t any longer around because of the funding.

 

Glen Peddle

Sensory Deluge

It was six years ago when I first visited Cape Spear in Newfoundland, the easternmost point in North America. For anyone who delights in scenery, it is certainly a place one should visit sometime. It was in the first week of October when I was there, and that day a chilly wind blew in from the ocean. There was also a moderately heavy fog which gave the area a slightly surreal look and feel. The ocean air was crisp and clean smelling, probably an almost overwhelming sensation to those who live in more polluted areas of the world. But the part of the visit that was the most distracting was watching the waves crashing onto the rocky shore below me. Despite spending just over twenty years of my life in Newfoundland, I had not seen such a spectacle until that day six years ago. The waves seemed to me to be around fifteen to twenty feet high, and they hit the shore with an almost deafening crash, which would have been intimidating were I closer to the edge of the bank. It never ceases to amaze me that this world can still dazzle my senses and make me forget about the problems and distracting minutiae that can weigh me down in everyday life.

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A Simple Shirt

 I’ve seldom owned an article of clothing that held any significant meaning to me.  While most of the clothes I’ve been given over the years were appreciated and enjoyed, none that I recall have had any special significance.  So the first thing that comes to mind that has any special attributes is a t-shirt that a good friend gave me for my birthday.  He and I being good friends for many years, he had developed an understanding of my weird, random sense of humor, and ran with it.

The shirt is navy blue, which incidentally is my favorite shade of blue (though my friend wasn’t actually aware of that).  On the shirt is a cartoonish looking bear, complete with crazy, swirly eyes, and bared teeth.  It’s standing on its hind legs, his front legs outstretched in a threatening manner.  There is an x-raylike look into his stomach, where it shows two funny looking elves crammed in there, sad looks on their faces.  Below the picture is a caption which explains the entire thing: “bears will eat you”.

By itself, the shirt is fairly unremarkable, and some people might not willingly wear such silly clothing.  But the thought behind it was the most important part of it, and I happily wear it to this day.

(For a picture of someone wearing a “Bears will Eat You” t-shirt, go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/allybeag/2818414657/

The Aftermath of Battle

The battle was finally over.  Sir Hendrick surveyed the scene around him.  The battleground was littered with the bodies of the dead and dying, from both his side and the enemy’s.  Already the stench of death threatened to overwhelm him, but he forced himself to not let it get to him.  It was his second major battle in as many years, and he was determined to handle the deaths as stoically as the first.  The metallic tang of blood lingered in his mouth, and he was no longer certain if the blood he tasted was his own or that of one of his many victims.

Behind him he could hear his King giving orders to help the injured back to the city.  Hendrick turned and looked at his leader.  King Olean didn’t have to be a part of the battle, but even in his early fifties he still preferred the thrill of battle over his time sitting on the throne listening to the citizens and their (more often than not) petty squabbles.  Olean’s face showed exhaustion, but he stood tall and straight as he gave his orders.  His normally shining armor was stained with blood, as was his blade.  No doubt he’ll feel the effects tonight, thought Hendrick.

The aftermath of the battle was a quiet one for the most part.  With the exception of King Olean, the only other sounds to be heard were the wind, and the agonized moaning of the dying in the field.  The surviving soldiers’ adrenaline must have dropped dramatically, as they were unusually silent and looking eager to go back home and get some deserved rest.  Hendrick looked down to see he still clutched his sword tightly in his hand.  The weapon felt like an extension of his arm at times, and he often felt a pang of sadness when he sheathed it, especially after a fight.  He checked the unprotected parts of his body for any injuries he may not have noticed during the heat of battle.  Seeing that he had no serious wounds, he walked over to his fellow soldiers and prepared for the journey home, satisfied that his homeland was safe once again.

The woman in the centre is Margaret’s mother. Margaret is the third picture from the left on the top line.

Margaret Hunter has been nominated as Learner of the Month.  Here is Margaret’s story, in her own words.

1. Do you have any advice for people who are thinking about upgrading their skills?

I told a friend of mine to come to this school. It is never too late to learn.  NOT TOO LATE, no matter how old you are.

2. Can you tell me about your learning story?

I was living at home, taking care of my family, but I wanted to finish Grade 12.  From the time I was young and had stopped going to school, I wanted to get back to learning. When I was 37, I took a course in Native Early Childhood Education when I was living in Whitedog.  Then I moved to Winnipeg, and took Adult Education classes where they
gave me a Grade 12 certificate, but I really felt that I didn’t have the skills it said I did.  I returned to Kenora and told the Welfare office here that I wanted to learn all the skills I felt I had missed. I told them I wanted to begin at the bottom.  They sent me downstairs to the Adult Learning Line and I have been here ever since. I have faced struggling. I am not a fast learner. I am a slow learner, and the problem I have is with spelling, writing and reading.

3. My proudest moment is that I am beginning to accomplish what I have set out to do – learning better skills. I can see that I am getting better.

4. My plans are to get a better education so that there will be a good job for me. Right now I have to take care of my mom as well as going to school.

5. My goal is to finish grade 12.

6. I want to thank all the instructors at Sioux Hudson Literacy for their hard work and patience with us students.

 

Congratulations Margaret!

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Ida Hilson – Learner of the Month – April

Ida Hilson was selected as Learner of the Month for the month of April by the staff at Good Learning Anywhere. Nida Doherty recently interviewed Ida Hilson as a result of this award.  In this interview Ida talks  candidately and openingly about her adult learning path and offers her thoughts on adult literacy.

Ida answered three questions and her answers are transcribed below: (Dan Woods, who is mentioned in the interview, has given permission to publish his name.) 

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THE INTERVIEW

1. Do you have any advice for people who are thinking about upgrading their skills?

Yes, I would like to encourage other adults who need upgrading skills to go to a Learning Centre, and start there with upgrading their skills. I encourage others to get the basic skills first and then they can go to college and maybe take courses like being a Personal Support Worker, or other courses where they can learn to help others.

2. Can you tell me about your learning story?

When, why and how did it start. Did you face struggles?

What is your proudest moment?

It was in my later years, after my parents retired, that I felt I needed to go back to school and develop my learning.

My case worker at the time asked me if I wanted to do that, to develop my learning skills. I was quite hesitant and shy at first, but through my case worker I connected to a Learning Centre here in New Liskard.

Right from the moment I walked in the door I was welcomed by the people there. They were so friendly and helpful. My instructor was a great person – the best teacher I ever had. His name was Dan Woods. I learned a lot with him. He taught me to read; he taught me Math and Sciences.

Through the Learning Centre I also went to adult learner conferences and I met a lot of people at these conferences. I heard about the struggles they had with their learning and I was glad to hear their stories.

My greatest achievement was one time I went to a conference with AlphaPlus in Toronto and I met many other adult learners. I learned so much there. We worked on Alpha Route, an online learning program. And I showed all the learners there how to do Alpha Route. That was my proudest moment.

3. What are your plans, what are your goals?

I have two goals at the moment. One is to be the best learner I can be and learn what the instructors are teaching me in the Good Learning Anywhere sessions. I have learned so much already, but I would like to do better.

Another goal that I have is to read Native stories to people in a senior citizen home here in New Liskard. I like the stories from the Sharing Circle and I would like to share them with others. These are my goals at the moment.

Interviewer’s note: Ida has already selected her Native stories from the library and is practicing reading the stories to her mentor through an online Centra meeting.

Creative Writing – May 2012 – Final Submissions

 

                                                                      -   Muriel LaForme

The Grey Sweater

Grey, warm, weathered.  Just as you felt before you passed.  I breathe it in and it smell just as it did when you wore it.  It keeps me cozy on cold winter days and reminds me of your bear hugs and krinkly smile.  I know when I’m wearing this warm grey sweater that you’re watching me from above, and I feel you with me.

– Sally Weaver

When I really felt alive with all my senses

I remember a time when I was in my late teens visiting my Grandma.  I decided to go for a walk while she was resting.  I walked way up the hill behind my grandmother’s house.  It had been a sheep farm and it was very hilly, and very steep. The smell of hay from the fields like sweet grass and flowers ever so sweet, you could almost taste it.  The wind was blowing, but very warmly.  It was so relaxing to just take it all in.  It was a really high hill and I hadn’t been this far up in a long time.  You could see for miles all the beautiful greens and yellows. You could hear the birds singing and nothing else; how peaceful and enjoyable.  There was a spring, that far up, I couldn’t believe it, and how nice and cold it was.  So good tasting -  I think it’s the very best – fresh and pure.  I have to admit that was a day I would love to relive.

- Muriel LaForme

My Favorite Gift

At the age of twenty-one

My son came into this world

Being a mother for the first time

I was so excited and happy

Holding this baby, who felt like a stranger

Our bonding began as I nursed him

Months then years went by

At twenty-nine I still look at him

As my little baby

-          Arlene Evans

 

Walking With Dinosaurs

A couple of years ago I took my boys to the Walking With Dinosaurs show at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg.  As we sat in our seats looking down at the stage setup, an open jaw of a dinosaur surrounded by lights, I could feel the anticipation rising within me.  When the announcer came out to start the show, the excitement grew.  Then the dinosaurs came out.  When they roared I just about jumped right out of my skin.  The volcanic scene was so real. The smell of the sulfur was so potent you could almost taste it.  As each new dinosaur came out I could hear my oldest son rattling off dino facts to my youngest son.  He was hanging on to me in excitement and fear.  I felt like I was transported back in time to the Jurassic era.  It was such a  rush!

- Sally Weaver