Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog is penning poetry and busting out rap lyrics on social media to help charities.
Click on Nanaimo’s Twitter feed to see a clip of shoes moving in a bouncy walk heading along a sidewalk (think John Travolta in the opening scene of Saturday Night Fever).
That’s Krog in a suit and tie, rapping out “Kidneys are cool” to support the virtual walk on June 7 to support the Kidney Foundation of Canada, B.C. and Yukon Branch.
A long-time supporter of the Kidney Walk, Krog made up lyrics on the spot:
“So cough up some dough
Let’s make this go,
The big show
Come on Nanaimo
We want you to donate
Let’s Kidney Walk go.”
Walk like nobody is watching! In this video, Mayor Leonard Krog shares a quick beat that flows through his feet, in support of the June 7th virtual Kidney Walk. @KidneyBCY https://t.co/WjoY7tkgbZ pic.twitter.com/x9X6hAfWIo
— City of Nanaimo (@cityofnanaimo) May 4, 2020
Krog further revealed his artistic side by writing a verse praising Daffodil, a guinea pig that he’s been taking care of for his grandchildren.
Nanaimo’s youth poet laureate, Valina Zanetti, is passionate about animal welfare. Working with the city and the B.C. Society for the Protection of Animals, she called on young people to write poetry to support the theme “Be Kind to All Kinds.”
Encouraged by Julie Bevan, Nanaimo’s manager of culture and events, to take part, Krog spent about an hour creating “Best Guest Ever.”
It goes:
“Our day begins with desperate squeaks
For yes she wants her morning treats
She loves it as I spread that hay
So happy she is to start her day
…
Though she is here for just a while
She gives me so much joy, a thrill
Dear little guinea pig, our Daffodil.”
#Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog wrote this sweet poem, “Best Guest Ever” as part of our #BeKindtoAllKinds poetry project with @BC_SPCA pic.twitter.com/LuZ1M2kGWv
— City of Nanaimo (@cityofnanaimo) May 6, 2020
A total of 13 young people have written poems. The youngest writer is nine years old.
Encouraging and supporting youth poets is one of Valina’s goals. “Poetry is expressive, and can be emotional, and the youth poets who answered the call and created poems really brought those things to the table,” she said.
“I hope that after reading the poems… you have a better understanding about humans’ relationship to animals.”
To read them (including the full version of Krog’s) go to the Culture Nanaimo Instagram page.
