SPRING (A MOON STUDY)

February 17, 2026
A portrait of the author in front of a window


Kaitlyn Purcell is a Dene artist, writer, and postdoctoral scholar (University of Calgary). She is a proud member of Tthebatthie Denesųłiné Nation...

WAXING GIBBOUS DREAMS

Owl was there to guide to me.      How she made me feel

so small.   She had a hard life.      The light it can choose.

The light or the dark.         This would’ve been better than

living in the bush.  Stories with owls under the moonlight.

I have a hard time finding the universe      in another space

or time.     Long tunnel,  lights,   square patterned linoleum.

Picking out forests    and planets     across the tunnels.         I

wanna see all the prophecies of all our fragility.   Apocalyptic

at the beach,     the vibe,      the heart   and spirit   are effective

in changing the underlay.       The stars disappear for a second.

Everyone gets evil   when the time calls.                It kept shifting

its wings     and living in the streets.         I stopped micro dosing

positive energy.      Having moths dancing   unfolds like a shadow

breaking the sun.              I’m already wearing a fever.      You yell

like glitter projects.               A nice dabbing technique.     She didn't

have toilet paper.             She wanted a feeling.           Loneliness and

desire.           I want to be loved under the light.          Baby blue walls,

fluorescent       judgment.                         Taking ecstasy     at the show.

 

 

 

FULL MOON DREAMS

She tries to brag     about how an owl hovers at the top of a spruce tree.

The full moon peaks out          as it cries.    Wings flutter up and scare her

and whisper yell into her ear,            I like moths on the streetlight!    Lush

green dangerous grief.  Found a loaf of bread stuffed with pills.    Meaning:

stolen wildflowers    and rivers             where this chickadee sits on my hand.

He drives over people’s lawns.               I let him in.          We are dreaming of

that same world.    All they do is play video games  when they aren’t dreaming

of swimming with sea turtles.     Peace.          Sunset sky was full and falling off.

A black capped chickadee                 came up to me,               Lorrie was visiting,

flew onto me,         momentarily.                    It darted away.           I felt so fancy.

He met a girl               and she tries to brag                     about stolen wildflowers.

I mirror the violence,           that dangerous grief.           A friend called last night

in the wake of normalcy.                       Been six months waking up as an asshole.

In March I held my inner child.          We cried for the girl      who is an asshole.

She tries to brag about a sphere of obsidian.  Captain Climb Up And Scare Her.

My mask of grief.                A friend called last night in the wake of everything.

I’ve been in love with holes.           I see angels.     and Granny playing music.

What does this dream mean?           I ask but nobody can answer.       Except

maybe ask for more inspirational talks  and opulent enormous    spaces.

 

 

 

WANING CRESCENT DREAMS

Overwhelmed with the desire to evade        has become   a dust bowl

and all my shit is ruined.         In recovery    and working   on my PhD

in Indigenous literatures.     Trying to figure out if you can’t handle me

at my worst,   then don’t stab me.             Is there Indigenous astrology?

We drive along the river valley, but I am scared. I need to defend myself.

I am traveling Alberta.       collecting them for $2 each.            to lift up

the spirits of the world.             Miigwetch is the most sacred thank you.

Nothing like            walking up a hill    blooming with   flooding river.

Strong currents.        They took me to the medicine.    My aesthetic is:

Windows 98 Paint,         a great big lake        collapsing          on itself

for a moment in time,               surrounded in a race to find something.

Inside                           a schoolhouse,          everyone owes me weed.

There are these tiny zebras.           that float out          and stop a train.

I confront feelings     instead of dissociating.              There are stories

in the sky blue.     Storks are flying.   We tell them how much water is

systematically flooded throughout the Dairy Queen.   The centre room

requires a sober mind.   There is an instinct to abort mission. I listen to

“Home is whenever I’m with you,”            but then I come back and

nobody is there yet.                            I need to see the world. Maybe

the universe sent me lessons that were part of                      who I am.

 

 

 

NEW MOON DREAMS

A plane lands on top of one another      but it’s curated

to push people away.    I wanted to be home with them

in positive ways—in their dreams.   A hotel turned into

a horse.  The sun goes down.   Dark edges are revealed

to myself, to reflect.    I wanted to be back home.  Why

are there so many people?   There were ghosts—cute air.

Climbing upside down stairs.    The sky.    I noticed that

it was bright blue, more like a Slurpee.  My rainbow flew

off the page aiming everywhere,       piercing the ground.

We are near the edge of an ocean     and I realized I must

be repressing a lot of things that can talk      about dreams.

I appreciate yellow hearts. Maybe I kind of like my inability

to break up with experiences,   a lot.     The desire to make

myself feel okay and going the wrong way.   I appreciated

their desire.        To me,      the clouds were actually mist

turned into webs.    All of me is working to guide myself

back to my room with sweets    until I remember     to cry.

ADHD feels like   I am stuck       and unaligned.          with

movies about ghosts     and murderers               in theatres.

A portrait of the author in front of a window

Kaitlyn Purcell is a Dene artist, writer, and postdoctoral scholar (University of Calgary). She is a proud member of Tthebatthie Denesųłiné Nation and was born and raised in amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton). She is a member of the Writing Revolution in Place creative research collective. Kaitlyn is a recipient of numerous awards, including a doctoral research SSHRC award and the Metatron Prize for her debut poetic novella ʔbédayine.