Lillian Allen
Bold Subtle Terror
In the now, many aspects of Black
histories lay buried and silent
and some disappearing
or even worse
I bring you my least favourite fear
slide between moral decay
and possibilities beyond racism
What’s yours?
Mark a line, draw a circle around
what is hoped for
Space resists the slow pace of history(’s)
dissolve into a futures, fades to…
freedom outrun shackles
tongues brittle to the touch
Scraped, scratched, and stretched
Black and Brown bodies flung
against walls
What can we choose to resurrect (in these times)
whose name shall we call upon to guide us
who is not already worn and walked upon
or rehabilitated to be palatable
glowing golden in the City on the Hill
How long shall this reign
this noose
this bold subtle terror
racism
Code Switch
The world nah turn anymore, nor is it still
an image of victory escapes me it could be the future
it could be the past as I cannot count
the ways of remembering
young people declaring their skin is not a receptacle
nor is it a billboard. Would a declaration of autonomy be enough?
a new century
the new revolution taken to the blank of pages
voices busting up all over the place(making)
positionality
build resolve through language
finding each other storied in multifarious ways
there is a phantom pain
for what we will not discover limb and land lost forever
children grow up and are strangers
leave home for new lands
We learned how to make land
a new territory called diaspora
in this landless land we so eagerly citizen
replant roots, mark invisible blood lines
and now swimming in the omniscience of the digital
a landing
falls without waterfalls or water
But oh, what a drowning
The earth doesn’t anymore
A leading Canadian poet and an international exponent of dub poetry, LILLIAN ALLEN was acclaimed a foremother of Canadian poetry by the League of Canadian Poets. She is a two-time Canadian Juno award winner for her albums of dub poetry, Revolutionary Tea Party and Conditions Critical. She is an arts activist and a cultural strategist who initiated and developed several key equity impacting arts programs. A mentor to the mentors and ‘Godmother of Everything’, Lillian is the recipient of many awards and citations including The Toronto Cultural Champions Award, The Margo Bindhardt Award for significantly impacting the arts in Toronto through both creative work and activism, the William P. Hubbard Award for Race Relations, and an Honourary Doctorate from Wilfred Laurier University for her contribution and impact on Canadian Letters. A long-time Professor of Creative Writing at OCAD University, Ms Allen spearheaded the establishment of an interdisciplinary, multi-media Creative Writing BFA program.Lillian Allen’s newest publication Make the World New – The Poetry of Lillian Allen -selected by Ronald Cummings, Published by WLU Press 2021 has received enthusiastic critical acclaim. Her other publications include; Women Do this Every Day and Psychic Unrest, plus several books and recordings for children and young people. Allen continues to perform to large audiences worldwide.