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untitled poem

untitled poem

by Kat Graham

Wilting weak
Facing a silent streak inside of a quarter mile
Crushed stone lines my pockets
The soles worn from my shoes

A grappling hook stomach walks beside me
Nagging about the time and the timing of it all
My eyes are made of shredded paper
Dry
Dry like a footnote

Roads are an impossibility
The futility of keeping silt in the sand
Each hip a Clydesdale
Hauling roots from the ground
Step after step

The blood in my mouth
No longer bothers me
The iron in my back
No longer bothers me
The embers the screech the grinding bone teeth
No
longer

The tire tracks carve between
A field laying fallow and threatening wheat.
The road meets my knees
And here’s the heave

Dry
Dry like a footnote.

About this Poem

Kat Graham is a poet and essayist. Most recently, she participated in Framework: Words on the Land, part of the Ottawa Writers Festival. Born in Kingston, Ontario, she has lived in Montreal, Nelson, Perth and Halifax. She now lives in Wilton, Ontario. 

About the Poetry Blackboard

The Poetry Blackboard showcases poems curated by Kingston's Poet Laureate and written by Kingston poets. There's a new poem every month, written by poets living and dead, historical and contemporary, published and unpublished, adults and children, giving full range to the cultural voice of Kingston. Started in 2015 by Helen Humphreys, the Poetry Blackboard has been continued since 2019 by Jason Heroux.

We wish to thank Helen Humphreys, Kingston's second Poet Laureate, for her generous support of emerging and established poets in Kingston through library programming and our Poetry Blackboard project. Throughout her four years as Poet Laureate, Helen curated a digital collection of poetry to showcase the talents of local creators of all ages, both historic and contemporary. Helen also offered several opportunities for emerging poets to develop their craft, offering group workshops and one-on-one mentorship. Her active engagement with the library and community has been greatly appreciated.

In 2019 we welcomed the incoming Poet Laureate, Jason Heroux, who continues to curate the Poetry Blackboard and to develop new community programming.

Previously Published Poems