Words Jo Barnes
Photos Sarah Hartley Photography
She could be your next-door neighbour. Like many of us who live on the Peninsula, she does everyday tasks such as cooking, doing the laundry and puttering about in her garden. However, this particular neighbour is a recipient of the Governor General Award and Officer of the Order of Canada for her poetry.
North Saanich resident and acclaimed poet, Lorna Crozier, certainly appreciates the beauty of the West Coast landscape that we all share, but what is remarkable has been her ability to capture what she sees and convey it in words that carry such impact.
“Poets are not airy-fairy people. I’m as pragmatic as the next person. I weed the garden, cook and do laundry,” shares Lorna. “People assume artists are a different sort; this is a myth. We try to put into words what we see and hear so it can be understood by someone else.”
The extensive list of awards and recognition Lorna has received over the years would suggest such an attempt to translate her perception into impactful poetry has been more than successful. Whether she writes about jellyfish and jumping frogs or living and loving, it is the details of the world around her that steal her attention and stir her imagination. “I try to capture the feeling, the place, or the landscape,” says Lorna. “I want to encourage people not to take what they see for granted.”
Her poetic talents have taken her around the globe to give poetry readings and recently to serve as official travelling poet of the magazine Toque and Canoe.
“I do travel pieces for Toque and Canoe. I wrote one on Sidney; another on the Great Bear Rainforest. In July, I spent one week at Cape Dorset or Kinngait near Baffin Island,” says Lorna. “Since it’s an online magazine, it has a strict word limit. Poetry is an attempt at brevity, and I can bring that skill to this writing.”
Often her creations prompt wonder and surprise. In the book The House the Spirit Builds, she offers readers the image of a toad with “its bumpy haiku-density” or a sunflower as “giraffe of flowers.” Lorna can also find the humour in the everyday such her unusual portrayal of plants in The Sex Lives of Vegetables or convey the poignant experiences of life as shared in her memoir Through the Garden: A Love Story (with Cats).
While some might view the world of poetry as removed from day-to-day living, Lorna reminds us that it is an outlet for everyday self-expression. “Poetry connects us and leads us through,” says Lorna. “It opens its arms to you and should not push you away.”
The process of writing is never straightforward, but for Lorna, the journey often is the reward. “Poetry is the realm of mystical and magical. There are no rules to write a good poem,” notes Lorna. “There is no recipe, and you’re not sure where you’re going to end up when you write.”
Regardless of rules or recipes, Lorna has definitely spent time composing words on the page. As well as authoring 23 books of poetry, two memoirs and three children’s books, she has also edited various written works. Lorna has received three lifetime achievement awards, including the George Woodcock Award and the BC Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary Excellence. Moreover, she has mentored and inspired others to write. She taught Poetry for over 20 years at the University of Victoria where she received recognition as a UVic Distinguished Professor.
However, even Lorna acknowledges creativity takes effort and requires pushing your creative limits. “Why do I write? Well, I like the difficulty of doing it. When you start to write the next poem, this is challenging. You have to raise the bar of your craft and not repeat yourself,” she comments. “I want to surprise myself or my poems won’t surprise the reader.”
Paying attention to the world around her and expressing this in poetry has brought blessings. “I see things with more vibrancy. Poetry enriches me,” shares Lorna. “It is a calling and a passion and has made my life deeper.”
Newcomers to poetry writing might feel overwhelmed, but Lorna offers encouragement. “Read, read, read, read” she says. “Find a class in writing, have courage to go learn what you can, and get together with others interested and share what you are writing.”
Creativity began early for Lorna, writing her first poem at the age of five. Now, although many decades have passed since that first effort, she’s not ready to put away her pen and is busy as ever writing, teaching, and still travelling to new sites. “I am working on some new collections of poetry that will be published with McClellan and Stewart next year,” she states.
Lorna might poke fun at produce, carry you along in the rhythm of rain or simply startle you with a simple phrase, but this Peninsula neighbour will always gift you with a piece of herself in her poetry.
www.lornacrozier.ca
