Words from the Heart

Cover Photo by pine watt on Unsplash

By Clint Fleury, English Student Association President

The Artery was first published by the English Student Association (ESA) in 2008 and has since released fifteen editions with more on the way. We feature writing from students, faculty, and alumni (as long as they went to Lakehead). So far, there has been everything from plays to short stories, haikus, jokes, letters, essays, limericks, and the list goes on. The Artery is more than just a book, but a culmination of a community of creative writers and artists here at Lakehead University. As artists and writers, we are the observers and distributors of our shared human experience. The ESA is not just a place for English Majors, but all lovers of literature, art, and culture. It is a place where people can share their ideas and find constructive criticism from people who are looking for the same encouragement and validation. The 2019 edition of The Artery could not be possible without the dedication of all our club members and contributors. Below is a poem written collectively by members of the ESA.

Tranquillity

Walking among a thousand dying suns,

Shielding my eyes against their blinding light,

We step between bright puddles laying at our feet.

Quaking pools who surrender themselves

To our imaginations

As rippling waves surround me

Drowning you out.

I become them,

Falling fast into this mass of atoms,

Crashing against the rocky shores of my mind.

I’m lost again.

I feel my cells dissolving.

My fingertips are evolving.

I am more light than I am an entity.

My racing pulse and mind are all that’s

Left of me.  

I am nothing,

Yet I’m whole.

I’m stuck in my own black hole,

But you drag me Back to my feet.

“Nova darling” you whisper to me

“You’ve gotta calm down, or you’ll

Burn yourself out too fast, too bright.”