A Poetic Grimoire: A review of Procession by Katherena Vermette
Procession by Katherena Vermette Toronto: House of Anansi , 2025 *** Katherina Vermette ’s third collection of poetry begins with “grimoire,” a poem that introduces a grand theme: “before you were this / you were / the dream /of a hundred martyrs / you were /a wish.” The poem speaks of becoming, and ends: “your birth has taken /centuries / a labour that nearly killed / them all / you are /now // and you have / so much magick in you / stories that have waited / lifetimes / to be told” A grimoire is a book of spells, and magic, and talismans, and to me this promises a hopeful tale. The title Procession , too, suggests a forward momentum, a becoming of some sort. That is exactly what this book delivered to me, and it was fantastic. To be sure, there is sadness and difficulty (what life is possible without that?) but Vermette has written a well-composed set of poems that have momentum. The first section is “Biindigen,” an Anishinaabemowin word for “welcome.” I felt welcomed, and the poem...
