Poems by Daniel Boland
Archives: by Issue | by Author Name
Migration of the Monarch
by Daniel Boland
From Canary Fall 2024
Daniel lives in the watershed of the Ottawa River, the second largest river in eastern Canada, mostly located within the Canadian Shield.
A September flight of butterflies –
unsteady, quavering
yet relentless in their goal.
They are tiny flags of independence unfurled in brilliant unison
or perhaps the silk
some ancient king might have worn.
They are a field of airborne oriental poppies
now on their way
to join some unfathomably
intricate tapestry.
A huge release
of new souls.
Previously published in The Trumpeter
© Daniel Boland
Poem on Good Friday
by Daniel Boland
From Canary Spring 2020
An awakening, groggy earth
nurses its ice-wine hangover.
Its heart begins to speak in rivers and streams.
Craters and potholes have widened;
bleached, resurrected scraps of paper
fly like liberated avatars in the wind.
It’s no wonder the Celts fell in love
with the Christian story
with all its rocks and thorns.
In the tawny grass
a few impossibly yellow and lilac crocuses
are splashing like sacred animation.
Raking must be done.
Taxes must be paid.
The tomb must be found
empty
so the swollen rivers can flow
and the robin can nest in the eaves.
© Daniel Boland