August 17~ RICHARD LeDUE

Hello, dear poetry lovers! It's great to be back at the SHINE poetry series desk, after a week of hiatus. Today we're shining the spotlight on regular SHINE contributor, Canadian poet, Richard LeDue! Thank you, Richard, for once again sharing your words with the SHINE poetry community.

Late Night Realism

If you have a light bulb
burned-out,
you’re better off philosophizing
with the assistant manager
at a hardware store than this poem
because these words
have more in common
with unwanted darkness
than 100 watts blasting
from a 60-watt max socket.

While Being Immortalized by the Census

I wish I could find victory
in a mockingbird’s song
or at least empathize
with the defeat
living in a dead bird
inside a cat’s mouth,
but instead I complain
about turning the oven on
in a heatwave,
expired milk during a blizzard,
and the sounds of children
playing outside.

We Can't Afford A Parachute, Even In Our Dreams

​Whether it’s AI or the co-worker
who never says “hello,”
too many fear for their jobs
like someone scared of heights,
yet happily dreaming every night
of flying,
without realizing the way
people fall each day
is a lot quieter
than any dreamscape splat.

Richard LeDue (he/him) lives in Norway House, Manitoba, Canada. He writes poems. His last collection, “Existential Drunk,” was released from Alien Buddha Press in May 2026.

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