Well, I have and I haven’t! Oh, this is so confusing! One of
my literary goals on my bucket list is to dip my toes in the Atlantic
Ocean and then write a poem about it. I don’t know when I will get there
but about three months ago I started reading a poetry book that not
only made me feel like I was already splashing through the salty waves
in my rubber boots but that I needed to pack up my fishing nets and head
to the east coast today and for real! Ready or not, here I come! Books
can do that, transport me to locations I have never seen and may never
get to in person. My apologies for the late review, long overdue but I
was hoping to polish up my French for the trip. That’s on my bucket list
too!!
FROM SHORE TO SHOORMAL
By Donna Allard and Nat Hall
Broken Jaw Press and BS Poetry Society, 2013, 72 pages
ISBN 978-1-55391-111-1
At first glance,
From Shore to Shoormal could easily be
described as a poetic travelogue where images of the Atlantic Ocean
mesmerize the readers and lure them onto fishing vessels and along
barren shorelines where the “high-spirited” raven keeps a watchful eye.
In the poem “Treasure Hunt” the instructions are to
“Get your map out”… “never lose sight of your compass”…and
“Feel the last wave, follow the sun.”…
For those who are unfamiliar with the coastal fringe of Acadia’s
Shediac Bay and the shoormal of Shetland Islands, Scotland, "I Have Never Been to the Atlantic Ocean but Now I Feel I Have"this book
nudges individuals into the salt taste, damp fog, fishy scent and rugged
characteristics of these two regions.
However, this collection of 25 bilingual poems by New Brunswick poet
Donna Allard and Shetland-based poet and visual artist Nat Hall is more
than just another geography lesson. As stated on the back cover this
72-page book is a celebration of the Atlantic connection between two
voices: the persona of Allard’s
acadianrose cresting like ocean waves in “From Shore” the first section of the book and Hall’s
nordicblackbird flying strong in the second part dedicated “To Shoormal”.
While the cover image (Hall’s photo ‘vagabond mood’) appears stark
and gloomy, it sets a melancholy tone for the poetic landmarks within.
For example, Acadia’s rich history unfolds as relic puzzle pieces and
unearthed memories in Allard’s introductory poem “War Musket Grass (Bay
of Fundy) where
“they swear the land still smells of powder.” In “Northwest Passage”, the
“mornin’ boats dot the water like fag butts” and the
“morning sun zips its warm jacket and leaves”.
The couplets in this poem and the metaphors throughout this section of
the book are like the waves in the ocean, lapping the shore at a steady
rhythm. The writing is tight and Allard often uses haunting words when
describing the fisherman’s life, beer, his wife’s isolation,
“icicled telephone wires”, “ghost ships that/appear at sunset” and eyes either
“shipwrecked on déjà vu” or a “glassy reflection of dark tides”.
It is not an easy journey. As Allard states,
“There’s not a road on this isle that does not bleed/from shore to shore.” Yet, Pablo’s poetic influence abounds
“along the apple pathways of every heart in love.” In another poem, she writes
“this memory shall live within me/until that sweet season when we meet again.” Death and love are common themes:
“I drown, in the beauty that only the Bay of Fundy can offer.”
In the second section of the book, once the reader is seamlessly
transported across the ocean, Hall resumes the Atlantic tour using the
image of the raven and the wind in many of her poems. The writing is
often gritty, sometimes gentle, written mainly in the first person point
of view and is accessible to the general public. However expect some
unique twists and turns of phrases. In her poem “On the Tip of My Heart”
she taunts the reader
“go ask the bird what it feels like inside the gale.” Hall explores the “Lady Mist”,
“water washed words”,
the turbulent storms of the Atlantic and the lighthouse beacon. In “The
Tales from the Tides” she experiments with an acrostic riddle and later
humours the audience with the unexpected language of canned fish. One
of the most memorable lines of the book appears in the poem “Harva”
where Hall states,
“I taste the sea…I’m still drinking the Atlantic/like a long shot of/tequila.”
While both sections of the book are written in a free-style format,
the addition of French translations and Shetland dialect provides a
cultural echo and textured layer to the original English work. As Hall
writes in the English version of her closing poem,
“I love this sudden switch of tongue/sur toutes les lèvres du St, Laurent!/Now I feel home on either side of the Atlantic.”
Whether the reader is French or English speaking, it is not necessary
to be bilingual to appreciate the depth of emotion and multi-layers of
meaning in these poem treasures. Rather, here is a book that dares
people to step outside their boundaries, to take a closer look and
celebrate these strong voices that make the Atlantic coast so special.
For additional “official” information about the book, click
here.
Debbie Okun Hill
Past President The Ontario Poetry Society (
TOPS)
OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF DEBBIE OKUN HILL -
REVIEW CLICK HERE
