Selected poems by Danny McLaren

 

Montreal

I’ve gotten used to travelling the long road back to you

Sailing that great ocean of highways and interstates

Conquering the distance that only serves to keep me from you

Foot tapping anticipation haunting me for hours

As cars move with agonizing slowness

Every second that passes a moment stolen from us

Our bond spans borders and well-travelled roads

We are bounced back and forth across train tracks and asphalt

Roads that used to be strangers are now old friends

They sing our greatest hits and ask if you’ve been well

I promise them I’ll have laughter of yours to share on the way back home

Freckles

Dots of imperfection adorn your face

Pick at them; scratch at the spots of discoloration marking up your skin all you like

But the universe crafted you with care

Like flicking paint onto a canvas,

To add that finishing touch

They may be haphazard,

Debris or blemishes to some,

Flecks of dust that have made your cheeks their home

But I see stars coming together to form constellations on your body

I see a road map to your subtle beauty

You are charming with these worlds that exist upon your very skin

You are endearing with a nose that’s speckled like a robin’s egg

Like the very Earth from which you came,

You are painted by the soil and claimed by the sand