Memories

By Jan Wozniak

The Perennial Passage

In the spirit of Ecclesiastes, the September sun rises

and renews the perennial passage of academic ambitions;

one generation cometh and another generation passeth away

washing away the old and making way for the new.

On these lands, reinforced by brick, concrete, and title

comes new waves of Beatniks, hedonists, and hipsters

wearing skinny jeans and sporting slicked back haircuts

Herschel knapsacks and Brixton snapbacks

who flood the campus with the renewed lifeblood that –

supplies the Institution’s beating heart with animation

after another long, inactive summer of rest.

Jan Alexander Wozniak (he/him) is a Canadian poet, short story writer, and scholar residing in Toronto, whose practice focuses on challenging traditional narrative and poetic structures, as well as our conception of psychology, psychiatry, and ethical responsibility. As a neurodivergent thinker, Jan is particularly interested in capturing the experiences of living with ADHD and in raising mental health awareness.  Jan has been published by ADDitude Magazine and has forthcoming works in Intersect, Spectrum, and JIRIRI.