Abstract

Our Bodies of Water grapples with the double vision of Atlantic Canada: in one hand, the rich economic and cultural history of the easternmost provinces and, in the other, the rampant rural poverty. The poems use the histories of the region’s settlers—the English, Scots, Irish, and Acadians—to understand how the provinces’ prosperity has decayed over the last century. Modernity’s impact on the province is addressed by topics such as the collapse of viable industry, the impact of global warming on coastal communities, and the youth population migration towards Central and Western Canada—colloquially “goin’ down the road”.