new perspective, renewal
can’t imagine mere semantics
cool confesses salt of the earth pulling the trigger to heaven
everything changed
really, really persistent you spent weeks
looking for that confidence
Lauren Bacall’s a breath of fresh air weightless knot
(there’s only one Bacall) the smile
coveted
archive after-hours jukebox memories
classic portraits fairground at home
one last audition
create awakening impossible to imagine winter is coming
half ruminating I had saved his life,
now he belongs to the angels Shakespeare is God
rummage through the costume bin mask and unidentified
attraction absorbing boys with toys
smart people keep climbing live for no other medium
never let it fade
down on one knee
You always wanted more I do not have a gentle heart
Frances Boyle (she/her) is an Ottawa author of both poetry and fiction. Her latest poetry books are Openwork and Limestone (Frontenac House 2022) and Light-carved Passages (Doubleback Books 2024), a reissue of her debut collection as a free open-access e-book. Her first novel, Skin Hunger, is forthcoming in 2026. Frances was a long-time board member at Arc Poetry Magazine, and currently helps run VERSeFest, Ottawa’s international poetry festival, and the League of Canadian Poets. Apart from admiring the view from Dunton Tower at poetry readings, her main connection to Carleton is a magical poetry class taught by Michelle Desbarats several years ago. Visit www.francesboyle.com and follow @francesboyle19 on Instagram, Blue Sky and elsewhere.
