The Comox Valley’s newly minted poet laureate is wasting no time in stirring up interest in the art form, with an event of “fresh air, fresh ideas and fresh rhymes.”
Kevin Flesher plans to lead a nature walk Saturday afternoon from Cumberland’s Chinatown to Japanese town, featuring 12 stops along the way for 12 poems about nature. Poem topics will include slugs, eagles, worms, beavers, lichen, inter-permeation and coal.
“It’s a new and unique way to interface with nature,” Flesher says. “There will be a variety of poetry styles and some special guests and surprises.”
The walk will end in Japanese town among the blossoms at the memorial cherry grove, where all present will be invited to write and perform some haiku poetry.
Flesher says the event will end with a flaming pinata full of poetry.
“Bring sake and sushi!” Flesher says. “This is poetry pot luck.”
The walk begins at 2 p.m. at Jumbo’s Cabin on Comox Lake Road, in the Coal Creek Historic Park in Cumberland.
Flesher, who last month won the Comox Valley Arts Council’s Poet Laureate Search, is working on several other project ideas to bring forth poetry among the masses, including:
• Poems about islands and ferries, in which poets will meet, read and listen at every ferry station on the way to Denman and Hornby islands and back.
• Poems by and inspired by Shel Silverstein, read by the ‘Laureate Cohort’ (Flesher and other finalist poets from the Search) at a library or café.
• Mountain-top poetry, featuring poetry at the top of Mount Washington.
“Everyone is welcome to all these events,” said Flesher. “I am stoked to begin a legacy of events and experiments that will provoke a poetical response. I hope folks of all ages and experience show up.”