Cheers Canada 150 + Poem by Richard Wlodarski

This is a magnificent work, Richard. I think there are times when we get caught up in the fantasy elements that accompany celebration. Perhaps in its ugliest form that takes the guise of triumphalism. Part of the heritage, any heritage, also has to account for work incomplete, injustices done, and equality denied. This is a powerful poem that should stir the conscience on the 150 anniversary.

personally, though it seems you got a lot of positive feedback in comments below, i do not care for the poem. and it ain't JUST because i'm better than you are because..............i am an American! ! ! [hee-hee, in case you thought the better...American part was serious] but i seriously did not like the poem. to ME it was..................hmm? just not up to snuff as far as i am concerned. and part of the lack of 'snuffness' is that (to Me) it is not terribly clear in some parts what you mean to say. some of the meaning i think I’ve figured out because of things i've read/heard of the past of my country. ========================================= ok. Let the circle be broken. i Googled to find the 'common definition'/meaning of this idiom. i may still find it, but while searching for it, i ran across this. [so, be careful who is listening when you talk about breaking a circle! ]: ======================================= [[ well, DAMN IT ALL. I JUST lost tons of stuff I’d copied and pasted in the comment box, and written. That should reinforce my mate’s advice to compose messages or comments on Microsoft Word so I won’t lose a bunch of stuff! ! ! : ( ]] well, you probably didn’t want to read all of what I was going to post anyway! Lucky you! Fate won out. I HAD planned to send some parts of articles I found about “breaking the circle”, but suffice it to say: the idiom is used by people to represent different things. To some Native Americans the “circle” was/is part of their religion and was/is not to be broken! I also got carried away with “land of the free”. I found out some interesting things about the U.S. national anthem, including that I’d probably never heard more than the first of several stanzas of the song, which was made our national anthem over 100 years after the words were written. Richard touched on some important subjects of abuse of people in the history of Canada (and other countries!) . I think the poem tries to cover too much in too few words, some of which (for me) fail to say what I think he wants to say. And the title, Cheers Canada 150+, does not (to Me) seem to ‘fit’ the content of the poem. The first stanza seems to fit the title, but then it is mostly “downhill from there” (in MY opinion) But as I think I said already, others seem like the poem, so ……………is it ‘just me’? ? ? Bri :)

personally, though it seems you got a lot of positive feedback in comments below, i do not care for the poem. and it ain't just because i'm better than you are, since..............i am an American! ! ! hee-hee (in case you thought the better...American part was serious. but i seriously did not like the poem. to ME it was..................hmm? just not up to snuff as far as i am concerned. and part of the lack of 'snuffness' is that (to Me) it is not terribly clear in some parts what you mean to say. some of the meaning i think i figure out because of things i've read/heard of the past of my country. ========================================= ok. Let the circle be broken. i Googled to find the 'common definition'/meaning of this idiom. i may still find it, but while searching for it, i ran across this. [so, be careful who is listening when you talk about breaking a circle! ]: ==================================== ===================================== ok, I AM STARTING OVER..............again! this part is pasted from Microsoft Word: personally, though it seems you got a lot of positive feedback in comments below, i do not care for the poem. and it ain't JUST because i'm better than you are because..............i am an American! ! ! [hee-hee, in case you thought the better...American part was serious] but i seriously did not like the poem. to ME it was..................hmm? just not up to snuff as far as i am concerned. and part of the lack of 'snuffness' is that (to Me) it is not terribly clear in some parts what you mean to say. some of the meaning i think I’ve figured out because of things i've read/heard of the past of my country. ========================================= ok. Let the circle be broken. i Googled to find the 'common definition'/meaning of this idiom. i may still find it, but while searching for it, i ran across this. [so, be careful who is listening when you talk about breaking a circle! ]: ======================================= [[ well, DAMN IT ALL. I JUST lost tons of stuff I’d copied and pasted in the comment box, and written. That should reinforce my mate’s advice to compose messages or comments on Microsoft Word so I won’t lose a bunch of stuff! ! ! : ( ]] well, you probably didn’t want to read all of what I was going to post anyway! Lucky you! Fate won out. I HAD planned to send some parts of articles I found about “breaking the circle”, but suffice it to say: the idiom is used by people to represent different things. To some Native Americans the “circle” was/is part of their religion and was/is not to be broken! I also got carried away with “land of the free”. I found out some interesting things about the U.S. national anthem, including that I’d probably never heard more than the first of several stanzas of the song, which was made our national anthem over 100 years after the words were written. Richard touched on some important subjects of abuse of people in the history of Canada (and other countries!) . I think the poem tries to cover too much in too few words, some of which (for me) fail to say what I think he wants to say. And the title, Cheers Canada 150+, does not (to Me) seem to ‘fit’ the content of the poem. The first stanza seems to fit the title, but then it is mostly “downhill from there” (in MY opinion) But as I think I said already, others seem like the poem, so ……………is it ‘just me’? ? ? Bri :)

A liberating Canada day poem I can fully get behind! , whereas everyone else would have just used it as an opportunity to spout a bunch of patriotic vitriol with a manifest Destiney diatribe, you take the other path of showcasing the stark reality that the country was founded on the blood of the impoverished and the destitute. Sorry I'm late for the party but I'm glad I'm hear for the aftermath. Now maybe its because I am Canadian so I feel some love for the country, but at the same time I will not deny that its history is just as corrupted as any nation founded on the exploitation and betrayal of its indigenous people, which this work exquisitely highlights. I LOVE the closing stanza, whereas history might condemn us, we have a chance to move forward to make the nation that it could be, we can end the cruelty and begin again. Here's looking to the next 150 years, (if the human race has that long) . Great work Richard thanks for telling me about it!

Yes, indeed, let the circle be broken. One of my favourite sayings, If it ain't broke, break it!

I support your words and positivity 100%..love the great spirit! Cheers Canada for 150th anniversary. I guess everybody knows although i never been there, Canada is the warm place because of their warm and kind people..So cheer for all of you Canadian for being great and spread love wherever you go to whoever we are all the time :) be blessed! and stay blessed!