"Ignoring pain is like ignoring the sun, it will follow you, no matter how far you run."

When you visit the Instagram account of Pickering, Ont.-based emerging poet Petra Amoako, you'll be greeted by a short bio that says, "I love to write small poems with big meanings." There is no better way to describe this edition of Poetic License than that: small poem, big meaning.

For this Ghanaian Canadian poet, the perfect form to express herself has been through her writing. Preferring depth over length, her style may be minimalist in nature, but her heart is big.

Listen to Petra Amoako perform Healing in the video above and read the poem below.


Healing
by Petra Amoako

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Ignoring pain
is like ignoring the sun,
it will follow you,
no matter how far you run.
If you want it to leave,
you must allow it to come,
to get to the night,
you must first, face the sun.

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It's National Poetry Month, and for the fifth edition of Poetic License, we decided to celebrate short poems from poets across Canada. In these illustrated videos, you'll hear from emerging talent, award-winning poets and poets laureate, plus the three Canadians on the Griffin Poetry Prize shortlist — the world's largest international prize for a first-edition single collection of poetry written in or translated into English.

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