wild horses, a New Age book of poetry by rob mclennan was written during his term as Writer-in-Residence at the University of Alberta, Edmonton in 2007 – 2008. rob mclennan has written over 20 books of poetry, non-fiction and fiction and is the founder and publisher at above/ground press and Chauderie Books. He also runs online poetry blogs.

Have you ever felt like you wanted to get on a train and write about a different place, collect the vibe of somewhere else and be a conduit for poetry, capturing the landscape like a photograph in poetry? rob mclennan is from Ottawa and traveled to Edmonton, Alberta, presenting a year of his life and times in wild horses.

I suspect in the background, a Muse, a lover, the poetry entwined with the landscape, the subtle edges of sex, the places of imprint, the places that haunt us. The poetry flows, the violence of disjointed thought forms, like glimpses of war and landscape through the windows of a conveyance while traveling. With influences of the Dada Movement from World War I, the nonsensical presentation of sorrow as art. At the same time a certain lyricism, the healing of the art presentation as poetry.

a short walk into exile

A fish swims through water, but is not of it.
- Eric Paul Schaffer

a bowl you would be bullwhip.
into waves, a camisole canola foal

stickless; states an email jokes
into position of a final harvest

you would weather me when

an opening up of transfer, west; a soil
foreign; you shoulder

birds, upon

those are some heels; so might as well
cant find a glass

mostly, Jacob; ladder into stars
& cloud

the bible belt suspends

perennial about; drink in me pear juice,
fermented, restless

no birds would suffer

I am not long, my self-imposed; if I am twinned,
or restless gone

if this my paris, new new york

what more you, skin?

map of edmonton (garneau)

for andrea bloom

1.

, loss of soft flesh

a stretch of river-side

the night before

you turn & roses
turn

2.

conflicting songs
of televised debate

who
& then who

& a light
that just never

The book of poetry is divided into 6 parts, a short walk into exile, at the edge of prairie there are no secrets, my life as a dead north-west explorer, wild horses, After Spicer and map of edmonton. map of edmonton is in 12 parts and each particular “map” is dedicated to someone. The images are of the city and nature, creating an oeuvre of Edmonton, a snapshot in time. wild horses is a beautiful redux of people, places and the Prairie cityscape, and like all good poetry roadtrips the best part is going home.

Available @ Amazon Canada. Amazon.ca.

Available @ Amazon United States. Amazon.com.

Available @ Amazon United Kingdom. Amazon.co.uk.

and Available @ www.robmclennan.blogspot.ca.

Genre: Poetry, New Age