They Ask Me Why I Sing So Loud is Pauline Le Bel’s first book of poetry, with works covering everything from the big bang to arbutus trees, from Eve to ageing, the loss and remembrance of parents and shifting family dynamics.
Le Bel says that the idea for a book of poetry came from her publisher, Cheryl Genet with Collins Press Foundation, who noted the poetic quality in the chapter on ‘air’ in her 2013 book, Becoming Intimate With The Earth.
“I handed her a couple of the poems I wrote on air, and as she read them, a single tear streamed down her cheek,” says Le Bel. “And she told me she doesn’t even like poetry! But she suggested that each chapter in Becoming Intimate With the Earth be book-ended with poems, and then said my next book poetry.”
Le Bel says that until then, her poetry had been mostly private – save a few works she submitted at the urging of Bernice Lever, another Island poet.
“There’s a poem about the house where I raised my kids, which I wrote right after I moved to Vancouver. I never got a chance to say goodbye to my garden,” says Le Bel. “There are also lots of poems about my family, some of which I was wary about sharing publicly. Cheryl was very helpful when it came to choosing poems, noting that some poems were critical to the overall stories while it was okay to leave out others.”
Bowen Island poet and lawyer, Michael Penny, was also instrumental in the shaping of the book.
“He really helped with the order of things,” says Le Bel. “He especially loved my poems on ageing, and encouraged me to write more of them.”
The natural beauty and people of Bowen feature highly in these poems, as Le Bel calls this island, “her muse.”
Ultimately, the book is a celebration, and the launch will be as well, with Teun Schut on guitar to accompany Pauline.
“The title is, They Ask Me Why I Sing So Loud,” says Le Bel. “So I guess I’d better sing!”
GIFTS FROM A GRANDDAUGHTER
smooth slender body
seeking mine
for warmth
in starchy cool sheets
in the morning
a simple note
printed
on the end
of my eraser
Nana, I love you
