This week on the blog I became, among other things, no light other than this light.

Poetry is an incandescence. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-02-14 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking lines come to us from Jordan Abel’s #book / #poem “Empty Spaces.”

Spring reveals the bones of winter. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-02-13 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking lines come to us from Jordan Abel’s #book / #poem “Empty Spaces.”

This moment is as yet undecided. Is it going to be noisome or fleshsome? Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-02-12 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking lines come to us from Jordan Abel’s #book / #poem “Empty Spaces.”

There are more empty spaces than there should be this morning. The empty spaces just keep coming. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-02-11 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking lines come to us from Jordan Abel’s #book / #poem “Empty Spaces.”

Daily affirmations make the world a better place. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-02-10 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking lines come to us from Jordan Abel’s #book / #poem “Empty Spaces.”

As my old man would often say, buckle up buttercup. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-02-09 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking lines come to us from Jordan Abel’s #book / #poem “Empty Spaces.”

New on the blog! Horses!

Indeed. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-02-07 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking lines come to us from @prairiedarkroom.bsky.social ‘s #poem ‘Confession.’

But leaves in fits and starts, earlier and earlier each year. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-02-06 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking lines come to us from @prairiedarkroom.bsky.social ‘s #poem ‘October is a kind of vigil.’

Define Thursday. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-02-05 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking lines come to us from @prairiedarkroom.bsky.social ‘s #poem ‘The smell of rain is called petrichor.’

IYKYK. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-02-04 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking lines come to us from @prairiedarkroom.bsky.social ‘s #poem ‘Wildflowers throb in the riverbeds.’

Worrrrrd 🤘. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-02-03 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking lines come to us from @prairiedarkroom.bsky.social ‘s #poem ‘Trying to describe what silence looks like.’

Dare we now look forward to Spring? Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-02-02 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking lines come to us from @prairiedarkroom.bsky.social #poem ‘A legend for orientation’

Slow Reading Poetry Project 2026, Weeks THREE and FOUR: “The Hidden Room” by P.K. Page To become fish.

Ending January and my slow reading of ‘The Hidden Room’ with my absolute favourite, and the most profound, poem from the book. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-01-31 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking lines come to us from P.K. Page’s #poem ‘Finches Feeding.’

And where are we? Flung out here at the true nadir of winter. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-01-30 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking lines come to us from P.K. Page’s #poem ‘Migration.’

Which explains why we often don’t know whether we’re coming or going. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-01-29 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking line comes to us from P.K. Page’s #poem ‘The Sentimental Surgeon.’

Some days are darker than others. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-01-28 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking line comes to us from P.K. Page’s #poem ‘Prophecy.’

A uniquely Canadian way to present the movement of fish? We all felt this image in our meat and memory immediately, didn’t we? Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-01-27 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking lines come to us from P.K. Page’s #poem ‘Average.’

Do you remember the sun? Not long now long until it returns to us in all its warming glory but also too long now. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-01-26 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking line comes to us from P.K. Page’s #poem ‘Bed-Sitting Room.’

Ah, the pure sonic pleasure of words. Smooth. Fish. Milk. Mind. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-01-24 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking lines come to us from P.K. Page’s #poem ‘Element.’

Remote work saves lives. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-01-23 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking line comes to us from P.K. Page’s #poem ‘Isolationist.’

One of the most devastating poems I’ve ever read has the most charming opening line. Like a double hook, or a hand raised and dropped again. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-01-22 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking line comes to us from P.K. Page’s #poem ‘Elegy.’

So much going on in these four short lines and all we can do is look on, like some sort of northern Moses. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-01-21 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking lines come to us from P.K. Page’s #poem ‘The Age Of Ice.’

TFW you wake up to yet more new snow when there was no snow expected. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-01-20 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking lines come to us from P.K. Page’s #poem ‘Winter Afternoon.’

We’re going to be spending the next two weeks with one of the most important voices in the history of poetry in the country. I hope you’re ready. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-01-19 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking line comes to us from P.K. Page’s #poem ‘The Understatement.’

The framing of your light.

New on the blog: "The Beauty of Vultures" Poems by Wendy McGrath, photos by Danny Miles.

Mornings like this morning, and tomorrow and tomorrow, and tomorrow… Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-01-17 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking line comes to us from @wendymcgrath.bsky.social ‘s #poem ‘Auguries.’

January is at the door and would like a word, Wendy. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-01-16 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking line comes to us from @wendymcgrath.bsky.social ‘s #poem ‘Rothko Came Back In February.’

Hold on. Despite all the signs and omens and portents to the opposite, spring is coming. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-01-15 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking line comes to us from @wendymcgrath.bsky.social ‘s #poem ‘The Hanged Man.’

Sunny, sunny, blindingly sunny mid-winter mid-afternoon on the banks of the Sturgeon. #yeg #T8A #canada #winter #blackandwhite #landscape

Are matches even a thing anymore? These boxes used to be ubiquitous. Like birdsong. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-01-14 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking line comes to us from @wendymcgrath.bsky.social ‘s #poem ‘Redbird.’

There aren’t many images more prairie than this. Perfect! Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-01-13 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking line comes to us from @wendymcgrath.bsky.social ‘s #poem ‘Sparrow.’

A brief respite from the ‘pointless noise’ of this midwinter Monday morning. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-01-12 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking line comes to us from @wendymcgrath.bsky.social ‘s #poem ‘A Barn Swallow Relative To Objects And Places.’

This week on the blog: Slow reading Poetry Project Week One, Marco Melfi's "Routine Maintenance."

Ostensibly about the renewing properties of compost but… Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-01-10 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking lines come to us from Marco Melfi’s #poem ‘Bay Leaf.’

Devoutly #teamanalogue Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-01-09 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking lines come to us from Marco Melfi’s #poem ‘Plaza Sign Down.’

There always is. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-01-08 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking lines come to us from Marco Melfi’s #poem ‘Next Door to the Funeral Home.’

This entire poem bears slow, repeated reading. Like winter, it has jaws that bite and claws that catch. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-01-07 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking lines come to us from Marco Melfi’s #poem ‘Ice-Chipping the Sidewalk.’

Huh. I’ve never really thought about what motivates those guys. And so, are poets doing the same thing? Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-01-06 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking line comes to us from Marco Melfi’s #poem ‘Superfan.’ #dailycreativity #lunaticengine #canlit

Reading poetry aloud yields its own delights. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-01-05 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking line comes to us from Marco Melfi’s #poem ‘A Model from Bosch’s “Garden of Earthly Delights” Reminisces.’ #dailycreativity #lunaticengine #canlit.

What should we call these random images that appear on our camera rolls - the visual equivalent of a pocket dial? Everything I come up with sounds vaguely naughty. Pocket Pics? Pants Shots? Pic Slips? #dailycreativity #seriousquestion

There’s always a catch, isn’t there? Also, “a defeated foosball winger”! Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-01-03 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking line comes to us from Marco Melfi’s #poem ‘Mannequin and Me.’

A truth that should be universally acknowledged. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-01-02 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking lines come to us from Marco Melfi’s #poem ‘Behind The Fine Arts Building.’

Let’s start 2026 off on the right foot, or the left depending on your preference, and agree to use the word ‘gallivant’ more often. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2026-01-01 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking line comes to us from Marco Melfi’s #poem ‘The Tryout.’

Wrapping up the 2025 Slow Reading Poetry project and announcing the theme for 2026. Happy New Year everyone!

How much snow? This much snow. #winter #yeg #dailycreativity

I bet you could write a book on all the different ways sunlight has been described. How it moves. How it doesn’t. Slow Reading #Poetry Project 2025-12-20 paulpearson.ca/the-blog/ Today’s striking lines come to us from Ben Okri’s #poem ‘Arequipa.’ #poetrysky 💙📚 #dailycreativity