Two Poems from nightstead
by David Martin
Excerpt from “Here, After”
Before they lowered him into ground—this is out
of order, I know—I placed my hand on the casket
and felt cold wood sting my skin to life.
Next day, coffee seemed a miracle, basket
of muffins delivered by sheepish mourners
tasted like nothing had ever struck my tongue,
and I was alive and guilty for it, revelling
fearfully at the glee within my lungs.
Excerpt from “Dollar”
Let us go to the Rama and the Tree,
the General and the Five Below,
the Family, the Plus, and the K
to shop for sentiments we owe.
Let’s visit the World and the Real,
the Beacon and its bargain breath,
the Smart and And More to buy
greetings for birth and love and death.
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David Martin works as a literacy instructor in Calgary and also as an organizer for the Single Onion Poetry Series. His first collection, Tar Swan (NeWest Press, 2018), was a finalist for the Raymond Souster Award and the City of Calgary W. O. Mitchell Book Prize. His second collection, Kink Bands (NeWest Press, 2023), was shortlisted for the Robert Kroetsch Award for Poetry from the BPAA, and also shortlisted for the Banff Mountain Book Competition. His most recent book, Limited Verse, was published by the University of Calgary Press in 2024 and was shortlisted for the City of Calgary W. O. Mitchell Book Prize. As well, David’s work has been awarded the CBC Poetry Prize, and has been shortlisted for prizes from FreeFall, Vallum, PRISM international, and the Alberta Magazine Awards. In 2023, he was named a “Writer to Watch” by CBC Books, and recently his work was included in Best Canadian Poetry 2025 (Biblioasis).
* * *
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