Canada: Case History:1

This is the case of a high-school land,                                                                   deadset in adolescence;                                                                                                  loud treble laughs and sudden fists,                                                                   bright cheeks, the gangling presence.                                                                   This boy is wonderful at sports                                                                              and physically quite healthy;                                                                                 he's taken to church on Sunday still                                                                       and keeps his prurience stealthy.                                                                             He doesn't like books, except about bears,                                                      collects new coins and model planes,                                                                    and never refuses a dare.                                                                                          His Uncle[1] spoils him with candy, of course,                                                         yet shouts him down when he talks at table.                                                         You will note he's got some of his French mother's[2] looks,                             though he's not so witty and no more stable.                                                        He's really much more like his father[3] and yet                                                          if you say so he'll pull a great face.                                                                         He wants to be different from everyone else                                                         and daydreams of winning the global race.                                                      Parents unmarried and living abroad,[4]                                                          relatives[5] keen to bag the estate,                                                             schizophrenia not excluded,                                                                                  will he learn to grow up before it's too late?

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[1] The United States

[2] French mother:  refers to French roots, French is one of two official languages in Canada

[3] Father: England

[4] Parents unmarried: England and France

[5] E.g. the uncle

by Earle Birney (1904-1995) from “Fifteen Winds; a Selection of Modern Canadian Poets”