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BLAME

BLAME

– Poetry by Barry Dempster –

Gas mask

Blame the promiscuous breeze of Chernobyl,
          diesel fumes, warp-walled genes.
              Blame payback.

Blame the consorts of unhappiness,
          Freud shouting Get a grip.
Blame how little you touch yourself, your
          hands like iron mitts.
Blame the day stamina imploded.

Blame mother and her Born Again tattoos,
dad and his popcorn machine of gloom.
          Blame age, diet, stress.
Blame the faith something was bound to go bad.


About the Author – Barry Dempster
Barry Dempster

Barry Dempster, twice nominated for the Governor General’s Award, is the author of sixteen collections of poetry, three volumes of short stories, two novels, and a children’s book. He won the Canadian Authors Association Award for Poetry in 2005 for his book THE BURNING ALPHABET. In 2010 and 2015, he was a finalist for the Ontario Premiers Award for Excellence in the Arts.


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