Poetry City Challenge: Bruce Rice in Regina

Regina Poet Bruce Rice. 

Regina poet Bruce Rice read his poem "Dead Métis at Batoche" for Regina City Council Monday, as part of the Mayor's Poetry City Challenge.

Spare me your elegies
Give me a song

Bruce Rice has four books of poems, with a fifth (The Trouble with Beauty) to be published in 2014.

That rises like grass
A root that winter can’t kill

His poem was inspired by a clay sculpture created by Joe Fafard of one of the Métis killed in the battle at Batoche, and was commissioned for the opening of Fafard's 2008 national retrospective exhibition and tour.

Give me a language
Give me my skin

In introducing the poem, Rice thanked Mayor Michael Fougere, city council and city staff, as well as the Saskatchewan Writers Guild and the League of Canadian Poets, for promoting and participating in this national celebration of poetry writing.

My feet
In a field of starlight that rises

Regina City Hall   © SB

These lines are from the first section of Bruce Rice's "Dead Métis at Batoche. To read the complete poem, check the Poetry City blog.   

Until either it’s Earth
Or Heaven

For more on the Poetry City Challenge, which was celebrated across Canada, visit the visit Poets.ca...

The moon like a footlight
At the end of the road

And to hear this? We've put together a video, and Bruce Rice reading "Dead Métis at Batoche" is available right here on Latitude Drifts! 

Poet Bruce Rice reads to Regina City Council and others. 

Some of the audience at the Regina Poetry City Challenge. 

Mayor Fougere and city officials. 

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