The Lesson
By Aurian Haller
A sentence was launched in the Prinsentuin
You can also fold your own boat!
The lake muddied around the shore
so we kicked up clouds
as we slipped in, at least
up to your waist, said the instructor,
Mallards all around
which is why we got the itch,
not to swim but to scratch, they
floated like full-fledged ideas,
elegant in their plumage and bright eyes.
Somewhere a loon called out
skilled in loneliness –
it was all I could do to keep
my head above water.
Fold your own paper boat
You can print a boat on one or both sides. For single-sided: when you start folding, the colored side is facing up. Need help? You can watch this video.
Aurian Haller
Aurian Haller is a poet and singer-songwriter based in Quebec City. He mixes poetry and music, integrating spoken word into his band performances and soundscapes into his poetry readings. He completed an MFA at the University of British Columbia, and has won the National Magazine Award for poetry as well as The Malahat Review Long Poem Prize. Haller has written two books of poetry, taught writing for The Quebec Writers’ Federation, The Canadian League of Poets, and now teaches English at Cégep de Sainte-Foy. Haller has recorded five albums with The Aurian Haller Band.