Beyond National Poetry Month: Summer Vibes

It’s hard to believe that I’m already moving through the final months of my term as Ontario’s Poet Laureate.

When I wrote my last reflection, I was looking back on National Poetry Month and an April filled with schools, community events, performances, workshops and conversations about the power of words.

May opened with an opportunity to stand in front of the students and community at Monsignor Percy Johnson Catholic School as their keynote speaker on May 8.

On May 11, I was at Lester B. Pearson Public School in Aurora working with the York Region District School Board.

May 12 brought an experience that challenged me in a completely different way. In partnership with The Gatehouse, I participated in and led a poetry workshop addressing child sexual trauma as part of their very first festival.

Poetry has always been a tool for me to explore difficult truths, create space for healing and give language to things that can sometimes feel impossible to say. Being able to bring that work into a space specifically designed to address trauma was deeply meaningful for me.

On May 13, I switched gears and found myself on The Champions Table podcast, sitting down for an interview and conversation about the work, the journey and the things that continue to drive me.

Then it was time for a well needed break with my wonderful family in the

Dominican Republic!!

After some rest and relaxation, May 27 brought me back to the Ubuntu series ‘I am because we are’ with the Durham Catholic District School Board, this time for an in-person finale presentation where all the schools I worked with online got to meet each other.

From May 29–31, I headed north toward Algonquin to serve as a Focus on Youth training facilitator with the Toronto Catholic District School Board.

JUNE: Black excellence, literacy, youth and family

On June 2, I had the honour of speaking and performing at the Halton Catholic District School Board’s opening for the Centre for Black Excellence.

Creating opportunities to celebrate Black excellence, history, creativity and leadership particularly within educational environments, is part of the work I believe deeply in.

June 7 took me to Hamilton aka Steel City for LITLive, where I was one of the featured readers for the evening.

June 9 brought me to Florence Meares Public School in Burlington for a volunteer session during a youth wellness day.

On June 17, I participated in filming a flash mob with an arts school in York Region.

Then on June 18, I had the absolute pleasure of hosting the MARTY Awards, Mississauga’s celebration of arts and culture. Returning to Mississauga in so many different capacities continues to mean a lot to me. This is home territory. These are communities that have shaped me, and being able to contribute to the cultural life of the city in different ways is something I never take for granted.

From June 22–24, I was back in workshop mode with Focus on Youth and the Toronto Catholic District School Board, leading multiple sessions focused on financial literacy.

June 24 gave me something far more personal. I attend my son’s high school graduation. 🤩🤩🤩🤩 Of all the stages, classrooms, microphones and community spaces I’ve been blessed to stand in, there is something special about standing in the crowd watching your child reach a milestone.

JULY: Plans, Plans, Plans

I had so many things I wanted to do but because I think I’m still 25, I overloaded my workout schedule and unfortunately threw out my hip and lower back. I was out of commission for most of the month and was forced to slow down!

On July 21, I had the opportunity to teach a Black Studies class at a summer program. There was something particularly special about this one because the teacher I was working with was my sister. My sister is an educator, and being invited into her classroom to share knowledge, history, poetry and perspective with her students was one of those moments that makes you pause and appreciate the journey.

AUGUST: Taking the work beyond Ontario

On August 15, I travelled to Montreal to perform at Oscar Peterson Park in Little Burgundy, a historically Black community in Quebec, as part of a Marcus Garvey tribute.

To stand in that community, to perform, to honour Garvey and to connect Canadian Black history with the broader legacy of Black liberation, culture and community was incredibly powerful.

On August 22, I brought my poem to “End It Now” engaging with the faith community. The event was to discuss abuse against women and children.

And the month isn’t finished yet.

On August 27, I’m scheduled to deliver a commencement speech at Tyndale

University.

Then on August 29, I’ll be one of the key performers at the Black Lit Festival in

Ajax.

Just like that, another month is moving.

As I continue through these final months as Ontario’s Poet Laureate, I continue to lead with passion and purpose. I am also looking forward to handing the torch to the new Poet Laureate soon. Stay tuned!!

With gratitude,

Matthew-Ray Jones Ontario Poet Laureate

National Poetry Month and more: Vibes on vibes!

It’s hard to believe I’m stepping into the final months of my term as

Ontario’s Poet Laureate. Time doesn’t just pass, it moves, it teaches,

it leaves something within you if you’re paying attention.

During National Poetry Month I was certainly paying attention.

This being my second April in the role, I found myself not just

moving through the work, but witnessing it. Feeling it in the new

spaces, the new voices, the new rooms that were filled with

possibility.

The month opened up in Vaughan, where for the first couple weeks I

worked closely with the students at Forest Run Public School.

Twelve workshops. Twelve opportunities to build something

together. We explored spoken word as a cool way to begin and to

close their school-wide presentation of the play WICKED jr. Even

more than that, we explored language as a mirror. The importance of

acceptance, the beauty of friendship and the power in our

differences, helped guide the conversations we had. Watching

students find themselves in those themes reminded me why poetry

continues to matter. It all came together on May 6 and 7 as parents,

teachers, siblings and community members came out to witness the

magical show.

On April 18, Barrie called. A gathering of poets across time and title,

Ty the Poetess, Bruce Meyer, George Elliott Clarke and myself.

Different journeys but one shared purpose. We didn’t just read

poems; we spoke about legacy. About where poetry has been, and

where it’s going, especially in a world shifting under the influence

of AI. What keeps us grounded is simple: truth, expression, and the

need to be heard.

The very next day, April 19, I was back in familiar territory in sauga

city aka Mississauga. My old stomping grounds and the place that

raised me, partnering with the Mississauga Arts Council for Poets

for PEACE. Alongside Mississauga’s youth poet laureate Tahira and

Mississauga’s poet laureate Andrea, we created space. Not just to

perform, but to write with community. To remind people that poetry

isn’t reserved for stages, it lives in everyone willing to listen to the

inner voice and express it in the outer.

April 23 carried a different kind of energy. The morning began at the

Hockey Hall of Fame, delivering a keynote with the Herb Carnegie

Foundation and Future Aces. A space rooted in sport, but grounded

in character. By evening, the tone shifted to reflection as we

gathered at the Archives of Ontario for a special event at York

University. Joined by Randell Adjei, Amani, Britta B, and Realije,

we reached back sharing pieces over 20 years old. There’s

something powerful about revisiting your own words, seeing who

you were and how that voice still echoes. It was also a moment to

invite others into the exhibit Illuminate Black, a reminder that

archives aren’t just history, they are living memory. Having been

present at the launch of the exhibit in February 2026, I felt it

important to continue the conversation. Black history is world

history and Black history is Canadian history.

From April 24 to 29, the days blended into one continuous thread of

connection. Edenwood Public School. Kings Christian Collegiate.

Durham District Catholic School Board. In classrooms, auditoriums,

and virtual spaces, we explored what it means to use your voice. The

Ubuntu series ‘I am because we are’ wasn’t just a theme, it was a

practice. Every place reinforced it.

I closed the month back again in sauga city at the Mississauga

Valleys Community Centre. Another event with the Mississauga

Arts Council and the City of Mississauga, this time centering on the

youth. Watching participants write, build, and then stand in front of

their peers to share their work, was beautiful to watch. Something

wonderful happens when we step outside of our comfort zones and

speak!

April was full, demanding, energizing however, more than anything,

it was affirming. Poetry continues to find its way into spaces where

it’s needed most, not as decoration, but as foundation. As a tool and

as a bridge.

As I move into these final months of my term, I’m not slowing

down. I’m listening more closely, watching more intentionally and

preparing for what comes next. I look forward to continuing to

travel this province, carrying the word forward and leaving space for

others to do the same. The power of words and poetry doesn’t end

when the national month of celebration does. It lives in what we

build after. So we will keep building!

With passion, gratitude and love,

Matthew-Ray Jones

Ontario Poet Laureate

February and Beyond: Moving the Work

This year, as Ontario’s Poet Laureate, February asked me something deeper. How are you moving the work when no one is watching? This question has followed me everywhere. P.E.A.C.E. People Everywhere Actually Coexisting Equally has been doing this work for 15 years. Not as a slogan, but as a practice. Through education, empowerment and community connection we leave footprints everywhere we go. The work is done through workshops, assemblies, trainings and keynotes—yes. However it’s also hallway conversations, eye contact, silence held with care and a person realizing their story matters.

This month, my footsteps trace a living map. Starting early in the morning on February 2 as part of my annual free program give away, arriving at Holy Rosary while the day is still stretching awake. Then off to the afternoon energy at JM Deynes—two different rooms, the same intention, plant something that lasts and kickoff the month strong. I head to St. Bernard of Clairvaux on February 3 then to a couple correctional institutions on February 5 and 6 where poetry becomes less about performance and more about survival. These are the moments that remind me that Black history lives in bodies. It lives in choices. It lives in whether or not we choose to see one another fully.

When I stand at Bishop Allen on February 11, I’ll be offering two assemblies back-to-back, where I’ll keep the energy high and consistent. On February 12 at Queen’s Park, Black History Month carries formality, P.E.A.C.E. teaches us that legacy isn’t what you say once; it’s what you practice daily. So like we say in Hip Hop, Keep It Moving to the K.I.M.!

The journey continues with Wilclay Public School February 13 with three artists brining our styles together. I’ll be at the Jonathan Davies Youth Hub in Malton February 17 for an after school poetry writing workshop, where participants can share their own voice. After that I’ll get a small break from the driving as I do a Halton event virtually February 18, proof that connection doesn’t require a shared room, just shared intention. Next stops are St. Margaret of Scotland February 19 in Mississauga and Ogden Junior PS February 20 in Toronto.

By the time I reach St. Monica February 23 in Brampton, it will be my 44th birthday and I can’t think of better way to celebrate than being with a school to bring them my contagious energy. Then I’ll be with Sts. Peter and Paul February 24 as the month starts to close. This year I’m thinking deeply about footprints. About what we leave behind when we exit a room.

February 25 carries me from St. Francis De Sales in the morning to John Dryden in Whitby by noon—different cities, but the work stays the same. February 26, beatbox and poetry meet at Joseph A. Gibson Public School. We’ll be teaching what textbooks can’t as we have some students participate in the show with us! On February 28, at the Mississauga SDA Church, February doesn’t end—it exhales.

Footprints: It’s All About the Journey. Exploring Black excellence. Honouring resistance. Making room for joy. Reflecting on legacy, not as something we inherit, but something we actively build through everyday actions. This is why the conversation cannot live only in February. No not just in February, but for every day that comes after.

Black history doesn’t clock out, so let us keep the fire burning.

Sincerely,

Matthew-Ray Jones

Ontario’s Poet Laureate