Local poet Mooney gives readers something to hold onto

A scooped up handful of land graces the cover of Sandra Mooney-Ellerbeck’s new chapbook, What Can Be Held Onto. A young buck deer munches on grass under a sparsely leaved tree as the water from a marsh spills over the side.

I wonder what the author is implying about what we can actually hold onto.

“When someone passes on, it’s the memories that they give us and the spirit of them can be held onto,” the St. Albert-based poet offered.

Her brief but evocative book has just been released in limited edition format with a fine cover illustration by Edmonton artist Izabela Ciechanowska. The back cover explains the collection of poems “offers glimpses of what can be held onto after letting go.”

Through studying the connections that we have with the earth and each other, we can learn more about the mystery of life everlasting. She says there is deep meaning to be found in fleeting moments. That’s why she enjoys employing haiku so much.

“You can hang onto one moment in three lines,” she begins. “Nature can be held onto. The spirit of a person can be held onto. A memory can be held onto. When we’re on this earth, we hold onto the earth and, in the end, the earth holds onto us.”

This series of 16 works (plus a page of random haikus) was culled from years of her writings, including a 100-page manuscript that explores the same theme. This persistent thesis in her work shows a devotion to the importance of family and honouring her ancestors. She says that their voices are not silenced by death but rather carried on memories like seeds carry on the wind to gain purchase in fresh dirt.

Interestingly, she said she likes to tinker with her writing. Publishing is an act of letting go of a piece of yourself rather than holding it close to keep playing with it.

“Some famous poet said that a poem is always abandoned, never finished. You can always do better. It comes to the point where you say, ‘OK, for right now I abandon them. They’re good right now.’”

Publishing for posterity’s sake sounds strange but it works. As far as these so-called ‘unfinished’ works go, they are already nicely polished and lovely. I enjoyed them all, Imprints in particular with its stilted cadence and soothing rhyming scheme with lovely alliterations.

“Remember as you remember your orbit,” it reads.

The timing is good for this title as St. Albert’s ArtiCulture festival takes place next week featuring literary events by Marty Chan, Thomas Trofimuk and Alice Major.

It’s also fitting for this delightful little chapbook to come out in time for National Poetry Month.

Ciechanowska will be on hand at the Chapters on Whyte Avenue on April 30 to promote the book during Edmonton’s Poetry Festival Week.