Choose Your Own Poem by Laura Farina

2017 CBC Poetry Prize longlist

Image | CBC Poetry Prize - Laura Farina

Caption: Laura Farina is a Vancouver-based poet who has published two full length poetry collections, Some Talk of Being Human and This Woman Alphabetical. (Frank Nelissen)

Laura Farina has made the 2017 CBC Poetry Prize longlist for Choose Your Own Poem.

About Laura

Laura Farina is the author of two full-length books of poetry, Some Talk of Being Human and This Woman Alphabetical, as well as one chapbook, Diagnostic Tool. She grew up in Ottawa, and gradually made her way west. She now lives in Vancouver, B.C., where she coordinates arts programs and facilitates writers' workshops.

Entry in five-ish words

It is dark. Now what?

The poem's source of inspiration

"The poem is inspired by the Choose Your Own Adventure novels I read as a kid. I wanted to see if it was possible to apply those same 'If you choose to enter the creaking mansion, turn to page 43' techniques to a poem."

First lines

The dark's
handshake
is cold
and damp.