Davida Leonard is a Canadian writer raised in Foleyet, Ontario, and now living in Timmins. Her writing is rooted in nature, encouraged by her father and inspired by her grandfather’s poetry collections. She developed her craft while completing a bachelor’s degree in psychology. A writer and photographer, she notices small moments with big meaning. She can recite the alphabet backwards in English and French, and spot an eagle from miles away.
The Crested Traveller
An excerpt from Born of Boreal Bones – A Northern Poetry Anthology.
Read the excerpt as text
Crested and bested
by the winds
of change
I push my heavy wings.
Heavy wings
puffed
as butter tarts and bannock
nestled together
by dancing flames.
Dancing flames
smoke out prey
and leave no crumbs.
In this bleached desert
what is left
to eat?
To eat
as a family
‘mongst aspen and pine trees
campfire toast grilled cheese
chickadees and grosbeaks
wrapped in
aunt Jean’s knitted blanket
this is my history.
© Davida Leonard
© Davida Leonard · Born of Boreal Bones