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Basics

Basics

by Sarah Emtage

I’m back at Food Basics for potatoes and carrots and milk and some patience and tea and the merits of shopping alone.

Then back on the street in the wind and the rain and the stop lights and sleet till I get back again to the wholeness of being at home.

About this Poem

"Basics"

image by Jason Polen from Gilmore Reproductions-Kingston, who facilitated the printing and installation of all the pieces included in Ontario Street: A Vibrant Spaces Project. Used here with permission.

Sarah Emtage lives in Kingston and works as a library technician. She's very good at killing house plants and forgetting to take out the trash, and she's pretty good at whistling. She loves to scribble and rhyme and most of all to grow in knowing Jesus. Her books include Paperscape and The Second Rate Poetry of S. M. Emtage.

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 There's a new poem every month, written by poets living and dead, historical and contemporary, published and unpublished, adults and children, giving full range to the cultural voice of Kingston.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