My inspiring poets

St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, at Carlton and Jarvis, Toronto


I asked 2fruition to name several poets who inspire him. I've never specifically answered such a question myself, so here it is. Four are still alive

I read Luci Shaw when my muse awoke in 1995. An evangelical Christian poet, she expressed conflict between her own mysticism and dogmatic certainty. Poets must face life's ambiguity. She taught me compassion for myself, and influences my writing still. The theme of Writing the River manifests in my relationship with the Eramosa. Read her introduction to the book.

In Wendell Berry I found the poetic voice of the land and its people, a voice at turns angry and tender. Read "The peace of wild things."

Annie Dillard has influenced me the most, specifically her nonfiction, but her poetic voice shines through her essays. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek helped me survive the bewilderment of coming out and leaving my fundamentalist faith. She has been compared to Thoreau, but I see Rumi's ecstatic giddiness.

Rumi is poetry.

My sentimental favourite is Cyrus Cassells, a gay poet only seven years older than me. His book of love poems, Beautiful Signor (read "The toss"), left me breathless and directly inspired my set of poems, The Water Lover.