Verses selected for May's reading pleasure
Montreal Police Patrolmen's Inception on City's Streets Highlighted in New Poetry Collection
Ralph Elawani, a contributor to Le Devoir, sheds light on the early days of Montreal police patrolmen in his latest poetry collection, "All That the Police Don't Know." The book, which delves into the lives of the city's less fortunate inhabitants, presents a portrait of the city with multiple faces, showing empathy towards its extraordinary yet often overlooked citizens.
"Bazouilles," a nickname given to the first patrolmen in Montreal, is revealed as they cruised the city's streets at night, protecting businesses while shouting reassurances in various corners. Characters who evaded their watch or lacked interest from the patrolmen provide the foundation for the collection.
In his work, Elawani unveils a city teeming with life that powerful institutions sometimes neglect. Characters such as a twilight confessor, a smuggler who views recycling as a scam, and those confined within the straitjacket of resilience populate the book. Regardless, the police officers serve as the underlying theme that binds these portraits together, albeit at the expense of some caustic comments: "Seized quantities of anxiolytics / and smuggled Bescherelle / where to serve and protect / have only pronominal forms."
Throughout the book, there are frequent touches of irony and unsettling strangeness, yet the work manages to amuse the reader while extending a hand to a life that powerful institutions might overlook.
Meanwhile, Stéphane Lafleur has dabbled in poetry for the first time with his collection, "Powder to Dance." The verses in the work draw readers into a familiar universe that Lafleur is known for, with a mix of thoughtful paradoxes and enlightened ingenuity. The poems are both joyful and nostalgic, offering deep insight into Lafleur's mastery of love and personification. However, these short poems, though insightful, sometimes struggle to move beyond the page, feeling as if one were treading on paths beaten by others.
Whether these poetry collections are considered groundbreaking remains to be seen, but both collections undoubtedly present unique perspectives on the city of Montreal and its inhabitants.
In Ralph Elawani's poetry collection, "All That the Police Don't Know," the author paints a vivid picture of Montreal's culture and lifestyle, delving into the city's home-and-garden of diverse characters, from the twilight confessor to the smuggler. Meanwhile, Stéphane Lafleur's "Powder to Dance" provides a glimpse into the city's entertainment scene with its thoughtful paradoxes and evocative imagery, showcasing a blend of books and life through his poems.
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