Abigail Ollila is a poet and contributor to Born of Boreal Bones and Homefull Country. Her poem “Parts Unknown” was also selected as one of three winners of Northern INK’s summer writing contest.
living
An excerpt from Homefull Country – A Canadian Anthology.
Read the excerpt as text
“are they really living?”
a local business owner replied
when asked her thoughts on the idea
that harm reduction saves lives.
you must not know jamie
who scrawls poems and prophecies
on subway napkins. she’ll trade you one
for a 6-inch cold cut sandwich and a pepsi
and give you a grin worth a million bucks
next time you greet her on the sidewalk.
you haven’t seen stan & evie
who prop each other up to cross the lights
with interlocked hands and love in their eyes:
newlywed godparents of the street.
times are tough and winter approaches
but stan & evie could honeymoon anywhere.
© Abigail Ollila
© Abigail Ollila · Homefull Country