A Haibun For National Poetry Month

In 2008, our Michelangelo Road Tour took us to Carrara, Italy, where Michelangelo obtained the purest white marble for his sculpted Renaissance masterpieces. We were astonished to see that all the street curbs in that Tuscan mountain town were made of marble. And every doorstep was made of marble too, no matter how humble or impoverished the abode. But then again, why shouldn't the world's finest marble be used for such prosaic purposes? In Carrara, marble is as common as dirt.

Doorstep or David,

it's all the same

to marble mountains

[Haibun © Debra She Who Seeks, 2026;

Photo © Debra She Who Seeks, 2008;

Animated AI GIF courtesy of the internet]

Vertex Quartet, Excentrica Women's Chamber Chorus, Doug Berner Trio

Last weekend was all about music! I attended three concerts by Edmonton musicians.

Vertex Quartet

On Friday night, this local women's string quartet played a wonderful program of works by Beethoven, Clara Schumann and Robert Schumann. Special guests Bethel Balge from Minnesota accompanied the Quartet on grand piano and Ian Liu played a Bach cello suite.

Excentrica Women's Chamber Chorus

On Saturday, I attended Excentrica's Spring Concert specifically to hear them perform Pergolesi's baroque masterwork Stabat Mater, a particular favourite of mine. They also performed several delightful madrigals and a fun jazz version of the Bach Cantata Wachet Auf (Sleepers, Awake).

Doug Berner Trio

And finally, Sunday afternoon was spent relaxing at the Jazz and Reflections concert series listening to the Doug Berner Trio's smooth jazz stylings. The perfect way to cap off my musical weekend!

Is Wolverine A Superhero?

Okay, Wolverine is not a goody-two-shoes

in ANYONE'S book. He's a 

foul-mouthed, vicious animal and

a frequent, remorseless killer.

But sometimes he sort of means well

and hey, he can be kind of noble

occasionally, with great reluctance.

Yes, I'm rationalizing.

The truth of the matter is that

I give Wolverine a free pass

simply because he is Canadian.

HE'S WHAT??????

James "Logan" Howlett was born

a couple of centuries ago in the

North-West Territories of Canada,

in what is now northern Alberta.

His declassified documents, records and journals are

maintained by Libraries and Archives Canada.

So what if they were publicly released on April 1st?

That date is of no significance.

What more proof do you need?

And if Wolverine is Canadian,

doesn't it mean that, by default,

he is . . . .

Oh, still not convinced that Wolverine

qualifies as a superhero for National Superhero Day?

Wanna make something of it, Bub?

Monday Murals -- Adventure Awaits!

I'm taking part today in 

Monday Murals hosted by Sami.

This mural by an unidentified artist is located

inside Edmonton's Kingsway Mall.

An androgynous young adventurer is opening a portal

in the time-space continuum and is about to go

on a grand adventure -- who knows where?

And of course, every adventurer needs

a companion on the journey!

[Photographs © Debra She Who Seeks, 2026]

But First, Coffee

We're Calling In The Big Guns Now

It's been 32 long years since a Canadian hockey team last won the Stanley Cup. But Canada has a new strategy this year, namely --

Divine Intervention by the Hockey Gods themselves!

Canadian-owned multinational restaurant chain Boston Pizza has launched an hilarious ad campaign with restaurant tie-ins and promotions, including: 

• Hockey God bobbleheads, available at local Boston Pizza restaurants.
• media kits, with Hockey God prayer candles, holy rink water, holy pucks, and prayer cards designed to bring playoff luck home.
• social media content featuring prominent hockey fans tapping into the power of the Hockey Gods to rally a win on home ice.

Here in Edmonton, there is also:

• a Sistine Chapel-inspired mural (see below -- worthy of Michelangelo himself, LOL) and
• game-day mullet makeovers for fans at the Fan Park (mullets are also known as "Hockey Hair" because their "short top and sides" fit under a hockey helmet without sacrificing "the party in the back" of long hair.)

According to Boston Pizza, the campaign will run "as long as the Hockey Gods are with us."

Friday Face OFF -- Portrait Challenge: Emotions

For today's Friday Face OFF link party

of art featuring faces, hosted by Nicole of

DVArtist, Art, Food and Everyday Things --

Nicole's challenge for us this week

is to draw faces portraying one, more, or all

the emotions on her list of prompts.

Coincidentally, I just finished a short

cartooning class earlier this month,

so I decided to illustrate all the prompted emotions

in a typically cartoony over-the-top manner.

Here they are!

I channeled my inner Donald Trump

by using a black Sharpie 

on white paper to do these cartoons.

And speaking of emotions,

it disgusted me to even type that,

but hey -- anything for a joke, eh?

[Art and photos of art © Debra She Who Seeks, 2026]