Dreams Of A Fire

Was a time
less than a lifetime
ago
the only people
on Nun’s Island
were nuns

In the quixotic
days of our youth
We could see
the trucks
bringing Metro dirt
extending the tip
of the island
and
over a gallon of wine
many beers
some dope
some songs
night would fall
with stars
and a fire
burned
that could be
seen from
the South Shore
signalling
global comraderie

this massive
landfill project
happened
because of the
Bridge

which you don’t see
in the top picture

kind of disorienting

and I think of
the drunks
who may have wandered
from the taverns
of the Point
and found themselves
by the water
where there was
no Bridge
and out there
was farmland
and dreams

and they moved
to Verdun
and we grew up
with their kids

we were
a river people
in spirit
at heart
in love

in the middle
of Canada’s
largest city

today
you have
the tourist version
(being kind)
of our waterfront
and Nun’s Island

Our boat clubs
are gone
but there are
boats
it’s called
a marina
now
and there is
a ferry
to Nun’s Island
favored
by cyclists
from out
of town

and it’s just
a totally
different
scene
unless
you
harbour
dreams
of a fire
at night
by
the
river