Montreal’s Deanna (Miss D-NA) Smith is enjoying a life-long love affair with words. She doesn’t remember a time in her life when she wasn’t writing and it wouldn’t surprise her if she talked in her sleep. She loves words because she understands their power to create and to heal, to deny and destroy. She has chosen hers for the former purpose and hopes that they will continue to fulfill that purpose long after they have left her lips or her pen. 

She is a proud member of the Throw Poetry Collective's 2009 and 2010 slam teams that took third place at The Canadian Festival of Spoken Word in Victoria, BC and Ottawa, Ontario. She is Montréal 's 2010 Grand Slam Champion and will be representing Montréal at the Vancouver International Poetry Festival (2011) in the individual slam competition.  She is a member of the Kalmunity Vibes Collective which allows her to perform improvised pieces with some of Montréal 's most talented musicians, emcees and vocalists. She is grateful for where her words have taken her so far and looks forward to the rest of the journey. 

Thank you for the gift

Thank you for the gift
I have no keys to stroke
I have no notes to sing
But I woke in darkness
To a symphony of sentences
Playing allegro
Rushing me out of bed
Pushing me precipitously
To blank page
Again
They, molten hot erupted
Piercing sharp cut
Through my dream state mood
Because the ever I AM
Had something to say
I thank you for refilling me
So consistently with this ink
That is life
And this symphony
Playing piano, piano
During the day
Crescendos nightly
Between here and gone
Life and death
Ephemeral
Like
Morning dew
Early mist
Not seen unless you are willing to wake for it
Thank you for
Word heavy
Phrase bound
Nights
I am grateful for having been given
An ear
To eavesdrop on creation
While I am still in this world
And the cost?
Heavy lashes
For a satisfied soul is a bargain
Fill pages with me
Fill volumes with me
Set me down
Think of those who need a word
Pick me up and
Begin again
I am yours.