New Poem: "Off to a New Life"

Off to a New Life…

A boy and girl—well, not quite,

he was 24 and she 22, and they were

off to Nova Scotia, he to better his chances

for admission into Dalhousie to advance

his degree in Physiotherapy by establishing

residency, and she to further her degree in

Psychology to realize her dream of marriage

counselling, and I said to her, dipping into

the fount of my great wisdom, “C. G. Jung

discovered the principle of individuation,

the purpose of our being, and a marriage

that does not respect a partner’s need for

self-identity will always need counselling,”

and I gave the young couple starting out

on their new life together so far away from

North Ontario a copy of my novel, a story

of synchronicity and Platonic love to read,

and a one-hundred-dollar bill for their first

dinner out in Halifax, a symbolic gesture of

good luck because I’m superstitious and

I’d like to believe that the gods of fate

can be bribed with good will.