Janet worked for Don Heights from 1985 to 1994. She was born in the UK, came to Canada in 1965 and became Canadian by the love and friendship of other Canadians. She married in 1969 and celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary to her husband Tony in 2019. They have three children, three in-laws, one grand-dog, four grandchildren and are pleasantly ensconced on Gabriola Island, where she writes her blog found at http://jacksonmeadvickers.blogspot.com
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A Life’s Purchase
70 years of life for a hundred thousand dollars Light falling over the tin roof A flowering lilac bush Crocus among the first pea shoots Pots of soil covered in green leaves New born babies Parents besotted by tiny limbs Butterflies in the wind Skin warm and soft Fragrant like mint tea Lemon slice and ginger root Daughter running towards the goal Son smiling on his wedding day Vanilla sponge cake carried from the oven Short clicks of humming birds Warm eyes of a friend Pouring coffee into a cup On the table for you When you feel you have failed To win a lottery somewhere In comparison to that poet laureate Everyone talks about All or nothing Fame or Anonymity Applause or silence And nothing exists between The sum of your wisdom Your tears and laughter Your whole unique life Buried under thin certificates That cannot define your achievements And all the wars you won Unnoticed. (C) Janet Vickers 2020 |
The image below is the cover of Janet's latest book, Sleep With Me: Lullaby for an Anxious Planet . The cover shows a dragonfly by Debbie Goodman, a wildlife artist working out of her home studio in Nanaimo, British Columbia. She creates her pieces entirely from cut and layered art papers sourced from around the world. This technique is derived from the Japanese art form chigiri-e, or painting with paper. All proceeds from Debbie's artwork are donated to organizations supporting wildlife conservation and animal welfare including Ducks Unlimited Canada, Nature Trust of British Columbia, and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Since 2010, she has donated over $100,000. She has also written and illustrated a children's book 'Wild Observations.' http://www.debbiegoodman.com
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Let us celebrate that Janet has written three books, presented by her publisher at this link:
http://www.ekstasiseditions.com/backlisthtml/vickers.html
She discusses Sleep With Me: Lullaby for an Anxious Planet, in this article from Nanaimo News:
https://www.nanaimobulletin.com/entertainment/gabriola-island-poet-discusses-politics-and-possibilities-in-new-book/
Endorsements:
“Let me begin with a warning” heads one of Janet’s poems and readers should be warned that not all these poems are lullabies. Many home in on truths that sear into the mind and might disturb sleep. That, after all, is the job of a poet. These poems also offer: the balm of hard-won compassion for self and others, a wisdom sad and sweet, and always startling turns of phrase that pull readers to attention and possibilities for their own voices. As Janet’s poem for Greta ends, “Now the rest of us must find/ our instruments before dawn.”
~ Sonja Arntzen, Professor Emerita, University of Toronto
The trenchant poems in this book use the word 'Lullaby' as an ironic metaphor delivering incisive commentary on our capitalist society. Never predictable, the lines roll from one to the other, crashing on the headland of the mind, challenging our concepts of the world around us. Combining passion and wit, Janet's probing questions and observations are a must read for those who want a keener look at ourselves and our cultural milieu.
~ Dave Neads, author, poet, social activist, loving life on Gabriola.
Life was not created to feed the economy.
I am in a relationship with the vacuum cleaner and it’s a problem
These two sentences display the breadth of Vickers’ poetry. With deep wisdom, carefully chosen words, kindness and wit, she invites her readers to consider the state of the world and some of the cruelties humans commit. But lest we become too despairing she shares her delights with trees, eagles and lizards, her joys with her husband and children. And, she lets us know about her very unique relationship with her aged vacuum. Come one, come all, there is something here for everyone.
~ Lynda A. Archer, author of Tears in the Grass, a Finalist for the 2017 Lambda Literary Award.
http://www.ekstasiseditions.com/backlisthtml/vickers.html
She discusses Sleep With Me: Lullaby for an Anxious Planet, in this article from Nanaimo News:
https://www.nanaimobulletin.com/entertainment/gabriola-island-poet-discusses-politics-and-possibilities-in-new-book/
Endorsements:
“Let me begin with a warning” heads one of Janet’s poems and readers should be warned that not all these poems are lullabies. Many home in on truths that sear into the mind and might disturb sleep. That, after all, is the job of a poet. These poems also offer: the balm of hard-won compassion for self and others, a wisdom sad and sweet, and always startling turns of phrase that pull readers to attention and possibilities for their own voices. As Janet’s poem for Greta ends, “Now the rest of us must find/ our instruments before dawn.”
~ Sonja Arntzen, Professor Emerita, University of Toronto
The trenchant poems in this book use the word 'Lullaby' as an ironic metaphor delivering incisive commentary on our capitalist society. Never predictable, the lines roll from one to the other, crashing on the headland of the mind, challenging our concepts of the world around us. Combining passion and wit, Janet's probing questions and observations are a must read for those who want a keener look at ourselves and our cultural milieu.
~ Dave Neads, author, poet, social activist, loving life on Gabriola.
Life was not created to feed the economy.
I am in a relationship with the vacuum cleaner and it’s a problem
These two sentences display the breadth of Vickers’ poetry. With deep wisdom, carefully chosen words, kindness and wit, she invites her readers to consider the state of the world and some of the cruelties humans commit. But lest we become too despairing she shares her delights with trees, eagles and lizards, her joys with her husband and children. And, she lets us know about her very unique relationship with her aged vacuum. Come one, come all, there is something here for everyone.
~ Lynda A. Archer, author of Tears in the Grass, a Finalist for the 2017 Lambda Literary Award.