Poetry Night in Surrey, BC

This was the view of the garden outside City Hall, a place where I had to pause and take a few deep breaths. I was about to read my specially-commissioned poem to Mayor Dianne Watts and the city councillors. Although I seem to do plenty of readings, this one felt different, as if some of the future of things literary in our city were dependent on how the reading went.

As things turned out (even though I needed to rely almost completely on what I'd written), I think I did all right, though I certainly was grateful to the writers and friends who attended, adding support to what I was doing.

Although this reading wasn't the first time there'd been poetry in City Hall, it was (as far as I know) the first time the city had made an official proclamation of National Poetry Month. The mayor presented me with a copy of the proclamation, signed and beautifully framed. If you'd like to see the text of the proclamation, click here.

And if you'd like to read the poem I read, it's posted at the Mayor's Poetry Challenge -- you need to scroll down to April 23rd, and then click on my name.