The International Year of Co-operatives
By Mary Pinkoski
The International Year of Co-operatives
By Mary Pinkoski
they say that it takes a village to raise a child,
but it also takes a village to raise a village
to raise a community
to raise a country
our country was built on the possibility and the promise of a handshake between
friends
built on the hope harboured in knowing that dirt under your fingernails was the
same dirt that was under the fingernails of your father, your uncle and your
grandfather
built on the coming together of women in halls and around kitchen tables
despite the distance of geography
we have grown in community
despite the solitude of climate
we have borne the weight of responsibility for our neighbours
our country is a gift
that moves with the spirit of cooperation
and so, in celebrating this international year of cooperatives
this poem is for the group of Alberta farmers
who plowed fields and gathered grain together,
who raised barns and then sat in them for dances
the farmers who paused to watch the way
the prairie dust picked itself up just before a storm
and swirled in unison with struggle but did not back down
the farmers whose dreams did not stop at the edge of their fields,
the ones who stepped out onto ledge of the horizon,
swallowed the winds of change and fought to unite
the farmers brave enough to tie themselves to the land and to each other
knowing that strength is found in numbers
the poem is for the business owners
whose parents travelled here in steamships
with coins sewn into the seams of their clothing
this poem is for those who knew too well
the sound of ripping thread
to release the last of paycheque
who dreamt of wealth in a new way
who were not afraid to put words
like credit and union together
this poem is for the Nova Scotian students
who imagined new societies without company stores and houses
where people had the power
It is for the students that rewrote textbooks over
songs of the dirty thirties dustbowl
the students that dared to sing while the country lamented
the students who taught communities to join hands
lest their circle be unbroken
this poem is for the group of outdoor adventurers from Vancouver
who found themselves scheming mountains in a rainy tent
on Mount Baker 40 years ago
a group who lived for the beauty of this country,
who longed for the potential of the shared experiences offered by its diverse
geography
a group who knew the value of a tying a strong knot in a climbing rope
who joined themselves together to bring
their passion of adventure and environment to Canadians
this poem is for the dairy farmers and the grocers
the insurance brokers and the bankers
all those who stand in community before wealth
who value democracy and volunteers
this poem is for possibility and promise
for the gift of hope harboured in community
for strength in unity
this poem is for the power of cooperation
January 12, 2012
About the author…
A storyteller at heart, Mary has presented her unique style of spoken word throughout Canada and the United States. Her work has been recognized for its dynamism and visceral qualities. She was captain of 2011 National Championship Edmonton slam team, at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word. Mary was voted Most Valuable Poet of the 2011 Canadian Festival of Spoken Word. She was a finalist in the 2011 Edmonton Poetry Laureate competition, as well as a finalist at the 2011 Canadian Individual Slam Championship. Mary was the winner of the 2008 National CBC Poetry Faceoff. In addition to gracing stages, Mary conducts workshops in spoken word. Mary’s most current chapbook is love is a tree you planted. For more information visit www.marypinkoskipoetry.com. ?
