PEDESTRIAN CROSSING By Suzette Magri
MARINE DRIVE Green, grey-green – tired chipped and worn held tight bound at the waist. Styrofoam cup holds luke warm, milky-sweet tea held tight within my hand - so not to spill. Tightly wound fingers aching and pointing at the same time. Deep sinking through light steps. Air tightens around my green-grey eyes ‘look at this one’ … he shows me a McDonald’s logo surrounded by flies as he writes ‘poop’ beneath it. ‘Wanna play X’s and O’s?’ Holding my breath the air shakes – fasten seatbelts. The music in my ear breaks through Light jazzy horns play through one earphone. The other is broken; unable to play ‘A’ sits drawing 3-D images on a page in my journal Ear fills with a “wish-I-knew-why-I’m-so-in-love-with-you.” Beat, of the music quiets the mind – soothing tight eyes bound by fences. Light blue warm air floats look to elephants for guidance. Tightening thoughts Tightening muscles – arms are aching. ‘A’ looks at me – tightens his mouth; makes his bottom lip turn-out vampire fangs – laugh! Breathe – air, light blue silver wisps turns red and gold. ‘I am ready for he is with me’.
“Just down the escalator is Edmonton… and you are on your way.”
SURFACES One shot through the head. Kills him dead. Then I eat him. Everything meat that makes it to your plate is killed. Expendable losses Consistently able to transcend Age… Love… Wealth… And emerge from it all - intact. Family photos illuminate parallel roads in an attempt to describe them; as if they paint lines. Contingent on time the space they exist in is white. I remember sitting at her table. It holds a wonderful time. Time - when moment holds an indefinable wealth. Moment when youth knows nothing and everything at the same time; no other reality but one. Spread before us at the table Shares, listens, learns – the past It is painted before our eyes in colours of red and gold. We meet again the picture transforms. Tired, worn – old, grey. Deep scrapes embedded in the surface time had not been kind. “I see your face in every flower In your eyes, the stars above — my love” The radio breaks in For a moment — sun hits my eyes warms them — for a moment.
How to isolate Insulate Remain – untainted and alive Like him – undamaged The heat hits my face Warm and soothing ‘A’ chats on the phone to break the boredom “I have breast tissue” he laughs at the phone Exposed – himself; I AM a reliable picture arranges images of the past warms my face. I stroking her head with tiny fingers her eyes closed – I wish to be as gracious. Gently resting on her exposed wrist a small fragile dove. Schuyler offers Words that aid in – Definition. “My shake of leaves aids in translation.” A portrait or speaking likeness a homage – a landscape; paint is all you can control. ‘A’ pipes in with “Did you know that Gramps has a Deerskin rug?” Out exploring in the cold morning air snow deep on the ground from the nights fall; wrapped in Westcoast lining not much to block the cold. “I saw a buck today! But I didn’t think it was right to shoot.” A rigorous stance of a little girl on the porch with her tongue stuck to the rail. Through the house silence brings warning “What are you doing right now?” ‘A’ asks from the other room. Embodiment of man’s virtues; “Love of family and the warm sun that heats my face,” Schuyler offers an answer.
LAMOUREUX Looking back for the future. History, of Lamoureux hamlet north - east Edmonton in the low country. Good hunting grounds. An original settler. Names of people become places. Time and people are imprinted even after long since past. Remnants remain. Did you know that while driving in a car that you can block out the sound of voices with really crunchy potato-chips? Highway 21 north Construction in rich black dirt, Edmonton 2 kilometres. See an illustrious shimmer of snow on the road. Fort Saskatchewan 27 kilometres Baseline road. The road a defining line in-between. Which turn comes next? power lines run parallel to the highway branching into deep suburban foggy glow surrounds the vehicle in front, wind swept snow slips across the road in front making the path difficult to see
VISTA ROAD I never could have the imagined the Farm machinery – its sheer size is incredible. Llyodminster to the east or 16 to the west. It looks like someone dropped a box of sparkles on the road. Not one alike; like babies. Point-aux-Pin Creek. Drifting snow from the west is new – usually it comes from the north. Eco systems challenged. Rich deep black dirt power poles and satellite dishes, industrial areas. Highway 15 West. Change follows us on our route but is not always seen as blessings. How to have a logical conversation about racism with a racist: Don’t. I don’t believe I have ever screamed at another human being like that Ever. Smiling face of my saving grace heals my heart. Three orange shotgun shells sit under the heater in the truck. Which one goes off first? Vo’s nails for gas… back to Highway 15 west. The sign reads: “Load to High” Turn right back to 95 west. Lights steam hovers over the river as we cross. Small patches of ice drift quietly, on the surface of the river. CN Rail crossing: even as a child the red flashing light suspended
with the stars followed – me while I lay in the back window of the car. 37 North-west. The sign reads: “Caring for Alberta’s Highways.” Skidoo tracks slide the side of the road. Namao Junction – 28A North to Gibbons. “Safety starts with you.” Vista road Sal’s Famous Steak Houses in the Sturgeon River Valley, Ye Olde Gibbons Liquor store, Curves, and a Library. Fast Gas Plus, Gibbons Motor Toys – 51st Street Left to a cemetery with no one in it. Just waiting for someone to die. How far does it travel where does it go – can’t float away The light that dies in the eyes of a deer when they see clearly. Gibbons is an identification entrapment. Jingler’s Pub Liquor Loft Small local church with incredible the most beautiful cut-glass windows you have ever seen. Midwestern mind set; small winter animals hidden in the tall grasses on vista road.
PEDESTRIAN CROSSING Wide expanses of territory small pieces of trees secluded in the landscape Infant trees surround the walk lead to the door. Barbed wire and poplar posts fence in the landscape. Shilo holds the blood sweat of the farmer. Tracks laid parallel to the door. Feast of a nation on the blood of the man. Snow removal is a business in Alberta. Namao 1 kilometre CHOO only visible on The road. Pedestrian crossing. Onway ↑ Edmonton ← Bonacord → Garrison ↓ Casern; barracks → Ever notice how you sneeze when you face the sun? Road sign: “Look out for each other; Share the responsibility” Yellowhead trail eastbound Yellowhead trail westbound – cheese perogies! And the best dill you will ever find. Largest baseball bat in Canada. Bleu! welcome to the family.
BUSINESS CLASS Conquest of intricate landscapes, portraits, interiors. Dry cold pavement cracked from ice broken by force heavy with frozen air. The road in front lay buried beneath the snow. Rail lines parallel roads travelled lives parallel roads and rails intersection is chaos impossible to order Returning glance of the river peers through the wind swept snow in the poplars. Hidden epic revealed when the snow clears. Snowfalls glamourously defining the trees details – the eye wouldn’t have noticed otherwise. Sun brightly lit offers life to a frozen landscape. Heavy limbs weighted with snow how will they or can they last. Delicate brilliancy. Double-edged horizon sharply cuts into the surface. ‘A’ sits; drawing 3-D images in my journal “Last call for Westjet 349 to Las Vegas; come on down boys.”
We are almost home.
HASTING STREET Waiting for reason. Do not whine – scream. The frustration heard in Schuyler’s words is deafening. A mind chaotic and without fences. find words to discover truth uncover how to – ache with pity rather than pain. I am the bird that flies with hope over the fences and sees from above the beauty of the landscape below. Thinking – there is always time to hope and imagine. Moss grows on the side of a tree who’s roots are embedded in our past. The telephone rings and it is ‘A’ “What time will you be home?” Soon – baby, soon. By Suzette Magri (Feb 2007)