Kyla Heyming is Sudbury, ON’s 7th poet laureate
The Northern Lights Festival Boréal is celebrating 50 years! 50 years of music, of art, of community, of belonging, and of Northern Ontario pride. The festival is happy to welcome one and all once more to enjoy the great talent found in our very own backyard. Excited to celebrate this milestone with its community, Northern Lights Festival Boréal has asked for a poem that captures the pride felt from 50 successful years and the hope of many more memorable ones to come. They are glad to be able to welcome everyone home once more with this year’s festivities.
Howl Like the North
Not a hush
but a hum,
a buzz that builds
from a gathering crowd
charmed by the music.
Stirring vocals,
sparkling show,
the city and the sky are lit
in this welcoming glow.
A sudden rise in the spirits
of the north
filled with boundless joy
and uncompromising passion,
it is a dream finally renewed
after years of continued confinement.
Listen –
this place
and its people
not nearly as old as the music
made young again under a sun that shines
on Northern Lights.
How can it not
when there are days of talent
and discovery
to inspire every great
great spirit
to take on the world.
Hear them howl
for they are home once more.
