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