Man Without Memory is a haunting and luminous collection of poems that explores the fragile intersections of family, mortality, and the everyday moments that shape our lives. Written with clarity and compassion, these poems move effortlessly between the ordinary and the extraordinary-capturing the pulse of city streets, the quiet of coastal landscapes, and the intimate rhythms of domestic life. From Vancouver Island's fog-draped marinas to Hamilton's monuments and urban corners, the poet reveals how place becomes memory, and how memory itself can be both anchor and ghost. In one poem, a ghost cat scales a cliff as the moon casts "white rippling bones across the bay." In another, pigeons circle high above Queen Victoria and Sir John A. Macdonald, silent witnesses to history and its regrets. These images linger, reminding us that the world is always speaking-through nature, through monuments, through the voices of those we love and lose.
The collection is deeply rooted in family life, with poems that tenderly portray children, parents, and the bonds that endure even in the face of illness and grief. First Born recalls a child waking from nightmares, while Matthew Baker confronts the raw reality of a young life slipping away. In The Good Life, the poet catalogues the chaos and beauty of everyday existence-broken drawers, hospital visits, skinned knees, endless pots of tea-reminding us that love and routine are inseparable companions.
Yet this is not a book of despair. It is a book of witness, resilience, and wonder. The poems embrace the surreal and the playful: flamingos standing guard in suburban yards, children imagining their parents buried beneath snapdragons, a salty breeze stirring trees into applause. Each piece invites the reader to see the world anew, to recognize the extraordinary in the ordinary, and to find meaning in both joy and sorrow.
Man Without Memory speaks to anyone who has wrestled with the passage of time, the weight of loss, or the search for belonging. It is a collection for readers who love poetry that is vivid, accessible, and emotionally resonant-poetry that tells stories as much as it sings.
Themes You'll Encounter:
- Family and memory: tender portraits of children, parents, and the bonds that define us.
- Mortality and resilience: poems that confront illness, grief, and the persistence of love.
- Urban and rural landscapes: from Hamilton's streets to Vancouver Island's shores, place becomes character.
- Everyday life: the humor, monotony, and beauty of routine.
- Nature and surreal imagery: ghost cats, flamingos, fog, and moons that illuminate the human condition.
Why This Collection Matters In a world that often rushes past the details, Man Without Memory slows us down. It asks us to notice the jet stream slicing the moon, the laughter of children, the quiet persistence of shadows in the grass. It reminds us that poetry is not only about grand gestures but about the small, unforgettable textures of life.
Whether you are a lifelong reader of poetry or someone discovering it for the first time, this collection offers an entry point into verse that is both profound and approachable. It is a book to be read slowly, savored, and returned to-each poem revealing new layers with every reading.
Perfect For Readers Who Enjoy:
- Contemporary poetry collections that blend narrative and lyric.
- Works by Canadian poets exploring place, memory, and identity.
- Poetry about family, grief, resilience, and everyday life.
- Collections that balance vivid imagery with emotional depth.
Discover the extraordinary in the ordinary. Let Man Without Memory remind you that even in loss, even in routine, there is beauty, meaning, and memory waiting to be found.
