PoetryMagazine.com Editor's Featured Poet Bruce McRae

PoetryMagazine.com

Bruce McRae
CANADA

Bruce McRae was born August 3rd 1954, Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada. Soon moved to Niagara Falls, then the village of Chippawa.
He studied film, radio and television production, 1972 - 1975, while playing in a number of bands in and around Ontario.
Bruce moved to London, England, 1979, making song demos. Joined Restaurant For Dogs. Formed duo The Caretakers. Traveled city to city; Toronto, Vancouver, London - several times; and also Bristol, in the west of England.
He began poetry readings in London, 1994, and acoustic gigs. First poems published, 1997, hundreds of publications since.
Bruce returned finally to Canada, 2006; currently residing on the west coast, Victoria, Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

After A Long Night

The wind singing in the higher registers.
Steeplejacks reining in their lines.
Our minister clinging to his black hat.

It’s the first day of winter, the masses
finding it difficult to temper their glee,
their kind avoiding the likes of me, you know,
the short and sweet and surly type,
the last sane peasant in the kingdom of Mad.
Informal. Non-linear. Star-shaped in a round world.
The grump who relishes the idea of trees bowing
to chill gusts and the promise of a storm to come.
The one rehearsing lines from a play not yet written.
The sort who notices the wind and marks it down.
A very short book made of long sentences.

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