Category: poetry

Oh, Joe Beef, the man of myth and meat, Whose name still echoes on Notre-Dame street. His tavern was a haven for the hungry and bold, And tales of his feats are still proudly told. With whiskey and wine, he'd entertain, And with his stories, the night would sustain. But it was his food that … Continue reading The Legendary Joe Beef – Memories Through the Eyes of my City

Oh, Montreal! My city, my muse, Where art and sin both run amuse, And on Saint-Laurent, there stands tall, A mural that portrays them all. The Seven Deadly Sins, oh what a sight, Captured in colors, so bright, Each vice, a face, a body whole, Lust, greed, wrath, envy, gluttony, sloth, and pride, all in … Continue reading The Seven Deadly Sins of Plateau Mont-Royal – Memories Through the Eyes of my City

At one end of St-Catherine’s, where the streets are alive, There's a place where the music and madness collide. Les Foufounes Electriques, they call it by name, A den of debauchery, a temple of shame? The walls are adorned with graffiti and art, And the air is thick with the beat of the heart. The … Continue reading The Den of Debauchery, or is it? – Memories Through the Eyes of my City

St-Laurent in Montreal, oh how you've changed Your history, your story, now rearranged Once the heart of the one immigrant community Now a hipster hub of trendy opportunity Your streets were lined with shops and markets galore The scent of smoked meat wafting from Schwartz's door But now the vegan cafes and craft breweries reign … Continue reading St-Laurent Street, Then & Now – Memories Through the Eyes of my City

In Montreal's east stands proud Le Cheval Blanc, A bastion of artists who dared be méchant To the rules of society and all its norms, To create a world that art truly transforms. Le Refus Global was their manifesto, Their rebellion against all that was retro, To break from tradition and embrace the new, To … Continue reading Le Cheval Blanc & Le Refus Global – Memories Through the Eyes of my City

At Ziggy's Pub in Montreal, where the beer flows free The writers gathered, a rowdy literary company With their smokes and their scotches, they'd spin their tales Of love and life and loss, and of the city's many travails There was Leonard Cohen, with his deep, gravelly voice And Irving Layton, with his wit and … Continue reading Ziggy’s Pub & The Storyteller’s Club of Montreal – Memories Through the Eyes of my City

Oh Montreal, my Montreal, What shall we do with this great big bowl? Our Olympic Stadium, so vast and wide, Has sat empty for far too long a time. Some say it's cursed, a white elephant, A monument to our extravagance and neglect. But I say nay, we can make it shine, With imagination and … Continue reading Rethinking The Big O – Memories Through the Eyes of my City

In Montreal, by the river's edge, Stands a dome, a symbol of our time, A vision of the future, a dream that we pledged, To protect this earth, this home we deem sublime. The Biosphere, a place of science and wonder, A testament to man's ingenuity, A beacon of hope, a promise to ponder, As … Continue reading Relics of Expo ’67 – Memories Through the Eyes of my City

In the halls of McCord Museum, the ghosts doth roam In the William Notman photos, they've found their home They haunt the frames with a spectral grace Whispering tales of another time and place Here, a group of ladies, in gowns and lace Giggling and gossiping with angelic grace And there, a soldier, stern and … Continue reading William Notman’s Ghosts – Memories Through the Eyes of my City

On a street in Montreal, around Concordia’s lot, There's a mural that tells a story of a life well-wrought, It's a portrait of a man with a voice so deep, Whose words have moved souls and made them weep. Leonard Cohen, he was the poet of our time, With his lyrics so profound, they seem … Continue reading Leonard’s Tribute – Memories Through the Eyes of my City