maelstrom

great waves of gossamer drift beneath smog singed skies

the needles of cold hover above skin

the needles beneath gestate in marrow

gathering in veins pushing through flesh

blood writhing to escape

and take refuge in those low flying dreams

dreams meant for beasts

i am one of those beasts

the wind carries forgotten memories to places yet unseen

to be exhumed

at times

no one wishes

and the ones remembered have no say

and the ones remembering have no say

in time

i wish to be unremembered

to give refuge to those

caught in smog singed skies

carrying gossamer

to places

where no one wishes for their blood to be taken

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JORDAN CARPENTER is an Inuvialuk writer, born in Yellowknife, with family from Tuktoyaktuk and Sachs Harbour. His previous work has been published in Coming Home: Stories from the Northwest Territories, as well as live readings alongside many Indigenous writers, including Mackenzie Ground, Kaitlyn Purcell, and Maria Campbell. He currently lives in Edmonton.

maelstrom is a response to the profound isolation felt living in a city effectively devoid of Inuvialuit culture, food, and people. The skies are smothered in smog, and the stars are shy amidst the pollution. The moon can sometimes find its way through the murk, but it only serves as a reminder of the countless months spent away from home. This poem attempts to capture the wistful dreams of a nomad among nomads.