The lament of the streetlights

The lament of the streetlights

This collection of poetry recounts the exile of someone who leaves the sea, the beach, the dunes and the smell of salt behind for the big city, which he approaches as if it were an unknown continent.

He has never set foot in an urban environment before. The move to Montreal is approached with hesitation, wonder and the delicate fear of the novice city dweller.

The poems follow his first steps : deafening horns, stone facades, bright nights, bustling cafés. He compares the rhythm of the waves to the flow of the avenues, the seagulls to the traffic, the sea breeze to the breath of the subway.

Little by little, he learns to tame the neighborhoods, to read faces, to leave his footprints on new sidewalks. He composes poetic maps where waves give way to cars, where headlights become neon lights.

And yet, despite his growing affection for the city, his heart remains imprinted with the coast. His nighttime dreams retain the taste of salt. The voice of the shore persists, like a visceral anchor that cannot be dissolved.

The poems oscillate between urban emergence and saline nostalgia. As retirement approaches, the desire to return home becomes urgent. He wishes to rediscover his native land, reconnect with the dunes and listen once again to the singing ocean. Nostalgia then becomes a compass to guide one’s steps.

The collection explores identity, intimate migration, uprooting and the hoped-for return, celebrating the tension between two worlds.

About the author :

Novelist, poet, short story writer and author of children’s books, Réjean Roy has written more than forty titles and is the founding president of L’arc-en-ciel littéraire.

A native of Allardville, New Brunswick, his works often have psychological or sociological implications.

In 2016, The International Network Of Women Philosophers — UNESCO ASOLAPO ITALIA — awarded him a distinction for academic, artistic, social, cultural and humanitarian achievements.