Smile (snarl): A poem

Abstract

In this poem, I examine issues of racial identity, Canadian identity, and racism through reflecting upon a lived confrontation.  I question what it means to be Canadian and how our often limited understandings of the Canadian identity perpetuate the marginalization of some and the inclusion of others. This poem also addresses the ambivalence of living in the hyphen between two races.  I consider how the challenges of defining our personal and national identities are often thrust upon us when we least expect it.