CC Canada Poet Laureate John Hoben is a PhD student in Education at Memorial University. His poetry has won a Newfoundland and Labrador Arts and Letters Award (2004) and 2nd prize in Memorial University’s Gregory Power Poetry Award (2007) for emerging student writers. His work has appeared in small press publications in British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia. Born and raised in Musgrave Harbour, a small fishing community located on the north-east coast of Newfoundland, John currently lives in Torbay, Newfoundland with his wife and daughter.

John’s latest poem The Conch was recently featured in Inscribed ~ A Magazine For Writers Volume 3 Issue 3. The Conch is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence.

The Conch
by John Hoben

He presses his ear
to the smooth coiled conch;
its mouth the mouth of deep,
muddy rivers, a small still voice
is the voice of green breasted
meadows, of
summer’s children singing.

In the shell
oceans are rolling;
his ear full of the
thunderous reign of
clouds, of sure and
craggy mountains.

The pursed
quick fist
that opens the
swirling door into,

the ancient house
of black.

Anne of Green Gables

By Lucy Maud Montgomery

CHAPTER I: Mrs. Rachel Lynde is Surprised

[…] “It’s just STAYING, that’s what,” she said as she stepped along the deep-rutted, grassy lane bordered with wild rose bushes. “It’s no wonder Matthew and Marilla are both a little odd, living away back here by themselves. Trees aren’t much company, though dear knows if they were there’d be enough of them. I’d ruther look at people. To be sure, they seem contented enough; but then, I suppose, they’re used to it. A body can get used to anything, even to being hanged, as the Irishman said.” [To be continued…]

Read previous entry here.