wantering

Posted on March 6, 2010 by riverwriter

Of course, no promises were made in words;
it’s more a matter of belief
that the planet will revolve
around the Sun, and gradually
our countryside will be inclined—
literally—
in such a way that we
and all the ice and snow,
thereafter, grass Continue reading →

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what is left behind

Posted on March 4, 2010 by riverwriter

Think of departure as a kind of death:
a stone draws out of water, and if
the empty space stayed, as in
a photograph we see it still
captured by the fast lens that
freezes drops of water
as we could never see them
beautiful, arching, glorious.

But the hole that was a rock
remains,
wonder/miracle/phenomenon
unnatural.

I look at the abandoned toy,
the desultory pencil,
the place you sat
but I can regard only
the play of light on dust motes
the bass thrumming of passing traffic
the softness of upholstery
as we could never see them
beautiful, arching, glorious.

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Review: Mrs. Dexter and Her Daily by Joanna McClelland Glass

Posted on March 2, 2010 by riverwriter

I felt really good about Canadian theatre Saturday night. Joanna McClelland Glass’ script is a tour de force of playwriting, particularly of writing monologues, a form that demands a great deal of ingenuity from the writer. There are several instances of dialogue in the first act; but the rest of the play, including the entire second act, is all incredibly skillful work for a solo actor on stage. I have one published monologue, “Old Wives Tale”, a short comic piece on which I laboured considerably; so I can appreciate the form and marvel at the playwright’s mastery of it.

I admired Glass’ management of the main action: at the end of Act I, she raises the stakes Continue reading →

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