Words Page Updated & I’m Struggling

Hello world. Just popping by today to say my Words page is updated with recent publications. Been a slow year as I’ve not really sent out a lot of work because I’ve not been writing a lot. Yeah, I’ve written a couple of songs (and in the process of recording them), but Paddler Press has been taking up a lot of time. The Covid Verses is now out in print and downloads will happen soon ($5), so stay tuned for that. Thanks for your continued support of my work. I have copies of All We Remember, my new poetry chapbook. I’d love to get a copy to you. Shoot me a message or pick one up from Watson & Lou on Water Street in downtown Peterborough.

My fellow poet, Justin Million, had these kind words to say:

I first became aware of Robertson’s work through his amazing poem “Train Picture”, which is indicative of so many of his fine qualities as a poet. He is honest, he is forthcoming, and he is trying to tell all of us something about ourselves that we all know deep-down: we live in a beautiful and mysterious world, and we owe it to ourselves to interrogate that beauty and mystery, so that we might gain a greater appreciation of ourselves. Thank you, Deryck, for this gift of words. We need generative poets of honesty and insight like you now more than ever. 

Love Letter

Hey, my new song, Love Letter, is now live. Begun over 27 years ago with the intent of singing it at my wedding, I didn’t get finished until a few weeks ago. I glad I waited, because it really sums up my wonderful marriage to Heather. I hope you like it. Find it on Bandcamp, YouTube, Spotify, and Amazon Music amongst others. Stay tuned for new songs. Lonely Broken Heart, an upbeat breakup song, is due for an early June release.

Perfect.

Hi everyone. Well, I’m gonna assume that someone is reading this. Been a busy few weeks around here putting the finishing touches on Canoe Lake Memories and then waiting for them to arrive from the printers. We also have a couple of surprises for those who contributed and for those who purchase copies. But, you’ll have to order to find out.

Before sending it off to be printed, I went through it more than a few times. I wanted it to be perfect and catch all the errors in formatting or spelling. The day I sent it, I found a couple of issues that I was easily able to resolve and sent it off quite pleased with it.

However, upon going through the book yesterday, I found a mistake I didn’t catch. What I so desperately wanted to be perfect has a flaw. Sure, it’s minor. Probably most people won’t even notice. But I do. And I need to let it go.

I tried to be perfect, tried to be honest
Tried to be everything that you ever wanted
I tried to be stronger, tried to be smarter
Tried to be everything but you…

These lines are from Hawk Nelson’s Everything You Ever Wanted. I try to be perfect but I fail. I think striving to be perfect, while perhaps a noble if not foolish goal in man’s eyes, is fruitless, because we never will be perfect. We work so hard to match the public lives of people that look perfect to us, but we don’t achieve that and we feel like we’ve failed. We are chasing after the wind. It’s all meaningless, as the Teacher once wrote.

Only Jesus was perfect and I need to remember that He is the only one I should be emulating in my attempt to be perfect. Fortunately, when I fail, Jesus is there to forgive and to support.

New poem links on Words page

Hello faithful readers and supporters of my work. You’re out there, right? I do love you. Four new poem links are up on the Words page. You can find links to Coloured Pencils and F 150 on the Shambles site, Lessons We Didn’t Learn with The Minison Project, and Faithful Jelly Donut Pt. 2 (For Dennis Lee) on the brand new Two Fingers Lit Mag site. Thanks to all the publishers who are continuing to support my efforts. I did get two rejection letters this week, but no biggie. In fact, I’m still thrilled because my daughter, Evelyn, got an acceptance to Norther Otter Press Vol. 2 for a piece of art she created. That’s pretty cool. I also got an ARC of Jaime Dill’s upcoming book, I Remember Us, a rewind on love’s memory (Cardigan Press). I’m doing some review work and after reading the first poem, I’m in love already. I can’t say much more at this point, but when it hits the shelves, you gotta get it. Stay well, my friends.

New poem drops today

I misread a sub notice on Friday night for Ongoing magazine, and instead of creating a musical piece in response to the post, I wrote a poem. My bad. Anyway, I’m quite pleased with the result, called Band Class, and it can be found on my Words page. Having been a band teacher for a number of years in three different schools (Havelock-Belmont PS, Confederation PS, and Kenner Intermediate School), there were struggles and there were failures. There were also many, many successes and fun times at Kiwanis Music Festivals and joint concerts with choirs from Kawartha Heights PS, South Monaghan PS, and Lakefield Intermediate and Secondary School. I always told the students that learning to play an instrument was a doorway to the world and an opening to lifetime friendships.

I was handed a trombone by Mr. Dunscomb at Windfields Jr. High more than a few years ago (although I had been playing a brass instrument for years by that time) and while I strayed over the years to tenor horn, I did eventually return to trombone, where I now reside. Because of music, I have met thousands of wonderful people, played and sung across Canada (ON, NF, PQ, AB, BC), in the US (MI, NY, CA, IL) , England, New Zealand, and Bermuda. I’ve played at Toronto Blue Jays’ games, a Toronto Argonauts’ game, and two Toronto Maple Leafs’ games. I’ve played for the Queen and met Prince Philip (well, he came close to me while he spoke with the bandmaster). Heather actually road an elevator with HRH at that Duke of Edinburg Award function in Toronto when he held the door for her.

I’m no virtuoso and I don’t practise near enough but that hasn’t stopped the experiences. My sincere hope is that some of those students have taken my advice and kept at it and they, too, are experiencing the opportunities that music can provide.

New Poems Dropped

Today, my latest published piece is live to the world (Minison Zine Issue 6 XOXO: Love Letters). Dreams is on p13. Thanks to The Minison Project for supporting my work. This latest issue is beautifully laid out and features some great visual work and concise poetry (read all about their version of the classic sonnet and give one a try yourself).

Also, on my Words page is Saturday Morning Drive, my newest piece written only yesterday. It pretty much speaks for itself.

I trust you are enjoying your Family Day weekend.

New Poem Uploaded – Press 1 to Admit Guilt (For Fred), and an owl sighting

Thanks to Col. Fred Waters for the inspiration tonight for a brand new piece which can now be found on my Words page. Evelyn (@thegirlwhopaddles) and I were out tonight making some deliveries for Scouts when we caught sight of a barred owl sitting on a tree along Mt. Pleasant Road. Of course, as soon as I shouted (inside the truck) “OWL!” it flew away. Seriously. But, for that few seconds, it was pretty cool to see. Such neat birds.

#MondayMotivation

Yeah, Mondays can be hard. Y’know, getting back into the routine of getting up earlier, packing a lunch (which my lovely wife makes for me each day…don’t @ me), and actually dressing in real clothes to go out in public. I woke up today and checked my email. I know there is a debate about checking email first thing in the morning, but I do it anyway because sometimes there is personal mail and not just junk. I woke up today to an acceptance letter, which set my whole day on a great path. Then, upon arriving home after work, I found another acceptance letter. This is totally a first for me, two acceptances in the same day. How’s that for #MondayMotivation? Sometimes I look at what I’ve written and think, ugh… Other times I’m quite happy with the way the words flow and how the poem feels. I’m proud of these two poems and thrilled that both of these different pieces found homes with The Minison Project (which is a totally new format of poetry for me) and with 433. I’ll keep you posted when they appear online.

New Poems Up

While I have been posting links to published poems, I’ve been negligent in not posting new poems that are ready for you, good reader, to peruse. So, I will attempt to keep updating this site with work. Today, you will find Lost, Winter Evening, and Friends on Facebook. As always, I’d love to get your feedback on my writing. Send me an email: scouter@accel.net or fill out the contact form on the page. Thanks again for visiting and supporting my work.

New Words in Print

Hello friends and supporters. Two new poems of mine are live to the world and can be reached via my Words tab. Coming soon, I’ll have a brand new Zine available for either your reading pleasure or paper airplane making. Up to you, really. Down the road, my poem, Long List, a response to not making the CBC’s poetry contest long list will be published in the brand new Cardigan Press anthology. So looking forward to that. In the mean time, you can still order copies of the 1st issue of Norther Otter Journal from their site. All links to each journal are on the the Words page. Please support these small journals as they share our writing with the world.