Delicate poems and images show a sturdy pear tree and a fading love in this lost classic.


Written after the end of a relationship, there's a persistent and gentle sadness among The Pear Tree Pomes, coloured by the intimacy of his awareness of a pear tree and its constancy. Coupled with illustrations by influential abstract painter David Bolduc, these delicate poems are part nature study, part ekphrasis, and part eulogy to recently ended romance. Kiyooka was also a painter, sculptor, musician, and teacher who cast a large shadow over Canadian literature and art. These poems are informed by the rhythm and shape of his practices of music and art, weaving across the page.



Nominated for a Governor General's Literary Award, The Pear Tree Pomes won fans in well-known writers and artists across Canada. This reissue includes new archival material, giving readers the opportunity to (re)discover this graceful collaboration of poetry and art and the story behind it.

Illustrated by: David Bolduc