by ~Gregg Rowe~
two 'o 'o six -- o-
lympics, i'm a nationalist
other times -- Québecker
Author notes
I have always felt the spelling of Quebecker instead of Quebequer has a doing with the meaning of beck as we continue to make amends with the province and country, the diversity of the people all after the Quiet Revolution.
Beck
- at one's beck and call : ready to obey one's command immediately
So being a Canadian by birth and living in a province searching for a nationalist independence brings about ambivalent feelings during the Olympics towards one's province and one's country.
It is also a play on words in French...donne moi un peck meaning give me a kiss, but sometimes the French pronunciation becomes a beck sound; so the metaphor is extended to now mean the ritual of the double kiss on the cheeks or the beck double. Thus, Quebec society becomes another duality: while we kiss the cheeks of separatists, we also kiss the cheeks of nationalists.
o lympics was broken up to emphasize o and a play on words with lymphnodes (a swelling of the nodes when you are diagnosed with a chronic illness)
The picture is of Michaelle-Jean, our newly appointed Governor General of Canda. After her appointment she had to defend her right to represent all Canadians after a film was discovered with her partying with ex FLQ members and separatists of Québec. Sometimes we are seen or partake in the wrong company but I believe that this woman epitomizes what being a Canadian is all about even though she hails from a Québec society. (PS: Her birthplace is Haiti but she has been raised in Québec since she was eight years old.)
Written February 26th, 2006
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Rebeka: Role and Responsibilities of the Governor General
The Office of the Governor General, Canada's oldest continuing institution, is a thread that ties Canadians together. From Samuel de Champlain in 1608 to Viscount Monck in 1867 to Vincent Massey in 1952 to today’s Governor General, the institution of Governor General dates back nearly 400 years.
What is the Governor General's position in Government?
Canada is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy. This means Canadians recognize The Queen as our Head of State. Canada's Governor General carries out Her Majesty's duties in Canada on a daily basis and is Canada's de facto Head of State.
Like many other democracies, Canada has clearly defined the difference between the Head of State and Head of Government.
The Governor General
represents The Queen who is the Head of State
is appointed by The Queen on the advice of Canada’s Prime Minister
The Prime Minister
is the Head of Government
is the leader of the party with the most support in Parliament
What does the Governor General do?
The Governor General's role is built on four major themes:
Representing the Crown in Canada
Representing Canadians and Promoting our Sovereignty
Celebrating Excellence
Bringing Canadians together
Edited on Feb 28 because ''. -
very clever, thank you for your author's notes, i admit i didn't pick up on the exact word play of this at first read. also, i am afraid my knowledge of Canadian politics is very lacking. olympic competition...i hope it is not laced with the same drug problems as professional sports in the USA.
btw... is a Governor -General equivalant to a president? or a speaker of the house? best of luck to her. -
WONDERFUL POEM
Thank you for sharing this interesting poem. I loved you author's comment. Even more interesting then your wonderful poem.
I enjoyed the Olympics. A good play on words. Take care, Sandy 
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Cool poem Keep writing this was a really interesting poem Interesting cultural perspectives
All the best
Pozo
BTW am I your ap kid?
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