A Renfrew-based poet and artist says his work often taps into a profound sense of empathy for the subjects he writes, paints, and draws about.
As part of Canadian Mental Health Week, we caught up with David Robert Rae, a former military and police officer whose catalogue of spoken word works includes one particular poem, “Standing Proud,” which he looks back on as a healthy way to manage his thoughts and feelings following the 2005 murders of four on-duty RCMP officers in Mayerthorpe, Alberta.
A number of Rae’s poems are reflections of the emotions that bubbled to the surface surrounding tragedies such as Mayerthorpe and the September 11th attack on the World Trade Centre, as well as his concerns over larger societal issues like the growing worldwide climate crisis.
He suggests anyone looking to use art as a means to cope and express their feelings on uncomfortable topics try getting a grip on a manageable piece of it and working towards the root of the issue.
Listen to Rae’s poem, “Standing Proud,” in full below:
(written by Kasey Egan)