Birdology
Carolyne Van Der Meer
Chapbook
First Printing - 70 Copies
Second Printing - 25 Copies
Third Printing - 25 Copies
ISBN 978-1-990474-39-2
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"In Carolyne Van Der Meer’s Birdology we are invited to reassess our understanding of the natural world. Through her poems, the study of birds transcends the scientific, becomes an esoteric branch of knowledge where birds become: metaphors for grief, quiet teachers of Zen acceptance, and psychopomps to the afterlife. Birdology is a narrative of personal traumas, yes, but more than that it is a recognition of the universality of trauma as part and parcel of the cycle of life. The grief of being unable to save a sparrow covered in bird repellent sits side by side with the grief of a loved one on their death bed. Birds bathing in a puddle in carefree abandon sits side by side with the uneasy acceptance of moving a parent into a care home. A seagull prepares to fly the moment a loved one's soul leaves their body, the soul taking its own flight. In all cases, Van Der Meer wrests beauty and meaning from a world that is constantly around us, though we often fail to hear. She hears and, through her poetry, may we hear as well."
—Devon Gallant
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​Carolyne Van Der Meer is a Montreal journalist, public relations professional and former university lecturer. Her articles, essays, short stories and poems have been published internationally. Her five published books are: Motherlode: A Mosaic of Dutch Wartime Experience (WLUP, 2014); Journeywoman (Inanna, 2017); Heart of Goodness: The Life of Marguerite Bourgeoys in 30 Poems | Du cœur à l’âme : La vie de Marguerite Bourgeoys en 30 poèmes (Guernica Editions, 2020); Sensorial (Inanna, 2022) and All This As I Stand By (Ekstasis Editions, 2024). Heart of Goodness | Du cœur à l’âme, for which she translated her own poems into French, was awarded second prize in the Poetry Category of the Catholic Media Association’s 2021 Annual Book Awards and was a finalist in The Word Guild’s 2021 annual Word Awards. Chapbook publications include One Week’s Worth but a Lifetime More (Local Gems Press, 2022) and Broken Pieces: Hospital Experiences (2023).
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