Elgersma, Bill

English

Dordt College

Volume 36 Number 2 Fine Arts Issue 2007 Article 1 December 2007 Aujourd'hui Bill Elgersma Dordt College, bill.elgersma@dordt.edu Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcollections.dordt.edu/pro_rege  Part of the Creative Writing Commons Recommended Citation Elgersma, Bill (2007) "Aujourd'hui," Pro Rege: Vol. 36: No. 2, 2 - 3. Available at: https://digitalcollections.dordt.edu/pro_rege/vol36/iss2/1 This Poetry is brought to you for free and open access by the University Publications at Digital Collections @ Dordt. It has been accepted for inclusion in Pro Rege by an authorized administrator of Digital Collections @ Dordt. For more information, please contact ingrid.mulder@dordt.edu. 2     Pro Rege—December 2007Bill ElgersmaIn the land of fleur de lisand loonies and tooniesI am home.Crown land, King’s Highway, the QEWspill from my lips unconsciously—I have crossed a border in both body and mind.A closed door creaksto shape words off my tonguelike house and mouth and about.Lilt and inflectioncause my daughter to smile,“You’re talking funny.”I am homebut gone so long it all appears new.OPP and QPP,MP’s and PM’s and RCMP’sAll initials so familiar. . . so forgotten.Hard living immigrantsforeigners to make up a country of no nationality,just survival.In clipped accents oblivious to feelingsintent on principlethey speak their mindthey manage,proudly.Aujourd’huiPro Rege—December 2007     3 Beer at 28 bucks a boxsmokes 6 bucks a pack,they work to enjoy living,live hardbut not too long.Returning back, green card in handthe border guard hassles meand I realizeI only have the vocabularya small wrinkle in a dusty portion of my brain.To the door I have closedthat shrinking wrinkle says,Au revoir and bon chance And to myselfin the realization of what is left behind,c’est domage but c’est la vie.aujourd’hui  todayfleur de lis   Quebec flagau revoir  good byebon chance   good luckc’est domage   That is too bad.c’est la vie   That is life. 

Aujourd\u27hui

https://digitalcollections.dordt.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1385&amp;context=pro_rege

Aujourd\u27hui

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