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All People

All People

by Jason Heroux

All people wonder what one

plus one equals now that numbers

aren’t allowed to gather together.

The letters from A to Z are working

from home. The alphabet is closed.

The morning news announces more

sick, more dead. You are your hand.

I am mine, and it’s hard not to join

in applause or prayer, it’s hard

for us to live alone in our pockets.

At night the light grows quieter,

saving its strength for another day.

Empty street, where are you going,

why? We are in this together. Stay.

About this Poem

Watch Jason reading his new pandemic poem “All People”

From Jason Heroux, on "All People":

"The original inspiration behind this poem began when I learned the root meaning of the word ‘pandemic.’ According to Vocabulary.com: "The word comes from ancient Greek — pan (meaning "all") and demos (meaning "people")."  On a general everyday level, the pandemic has separated us through quarantine and self-isolation, but on a deeper level it’s also strengthened our connections. It’s made us realize how much we have in common, and how essential our individual actions are to each other. All People." 

"I felt it was important for the poem to have more questions than answers, more uncertainty than sureness, because no one really knows what’s going on these days. The final word of the poem is "stay." And it’s a word with many meanings: to spend time in a place, or situation, of course, and to come to a stop, or standstill. But it also means to support or prop up, and the power of endurance. All of those definitions apply to us now."

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 There's a new poem every month, written by poets living and dead, historical and contemporary, published and unpublished, adults and children, giving full range to the cultural voice of Kingston.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