I feel her rise at centre stage.

That spotlight shine on dear old rage.

The winds of change are circumspect.

Bang that drum… demand respect.

I’m older now, can cool that rise.

Looking for nothing in anyone’s eyes.

Dennis Mantin was born in Toronto in 1958. However, he grew up in rural Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, where he was introduced to painting and literature.

Mantin left the east coast for Alberta in 1980 and landed a job as a nude model at the Banff School of Fine Arts with acclaimed American Painter and Sculpter Eric Fischl. Meeting Fischl opened his feelings and eyes to really seeing color and tone; even in the most unexpected places.

In 1992, after having returned to Toronto, Mantin dedicated himself to painting and had the good fortune to meet the extraordinary Canadian poetic Painter Paul Fournier, which ignited a lifelong creative friendship. With Fournier’s mentoring, Dennis mounted his first solo exhibition in an antique store in The Beaches neighborhood of Toronto.

After a decade of painting and exhibitions, raising a family and life circumstances forced Mantin to give his attention elsewhere.

In May of 2014, Mantin renewed his relationship with painting and was invited to share Paul Fournier’s studio, which culminated in a solo exhibition at the Abbozzo Gallery at 401 Richmond Street. The exhibition was called The Meditation and alluded to Mantin’s recent interest and dedication to the practice and study of mindfulness Meditation.

While working on The Meditation, Mantin was encouraged to reexamine his writings, which stimulated a revision of a short screenplay from 20 years earlier.

The short film, a 15-minute drama entitled The Meditation, was written, directed, and produced by Mantin in 2017 and featured world renowned actor Jonathan Hyde of the Royal Shakespearen Academy. Jonathan won best supporting actor at the Top Shorts Online Film Festival, and Dennis received an honorable mention for narrative at the same festival. The film received the Award of Excellence from the Canada Shorts Film Festival in 2017.

Dennis started his WordPress blog in 2013 and has over 2000 posts in the decade that followed.

In the autumn of 2023, Dennis will publish his first novel, ‘LOOK THEM IN THE EYES’ with Canadian publisher Friesen Press.

Dennis is a single father, currently living in Toronto with his 12 years old daughter Zylia and their cat Ned.

Dennis Mantin

Once was an alcoholic named Rick.

Who sometimes called himself Dick.

Put down the booze.

It’s your name you choose.

Richard, can you cease being a prick?

Once was a girl who quit it cold turkey.

All that smoking and puffing didn’t quite workie.

She’d rage day and night…

About being happy and right.

In the end we all thought her quite quirky.

News is bad, got the radio on…

15 minutes of fame seems far to long.

News ain’t good, spotlight is shone…

Looking for decency hither and yon.

How many therapist’s does it take to change a lightbulb?

None.

The lightbulb has to want to change.

I never knew what happened, but I guessed that it was bad.

By the way you laid there moaning behind eyes that were so sad.

You asked for money for the bus, I just coolly walked on by.

You yelled that if you had a gun then I could wave goodbye.

I know that nothing happened, it’s just drama in your head.

It’s just my daughter heard you say that you wished her father dead.

A method for gauging the durability of a product before taking it to market was testing and retesting to determine the breaking point.

People with Borderline Personality Disorder employ a similar strategy with relationships…

This has been a public service announcement by someone who has had their fill.

That hollow dread that lives in the pit of the stomach… I remember this however it’s been years.

Dread

Fear

Uncertainty

Churning.

As much as I loathe the insanity of others, I fear this is what they deal with constantly.

We sleep in on our Sundays…

No one here is left behind.

It’s not a religion.

It is a blessing.

I prayed today like always.

In private.

No, I don’t care about your opinions.

Not like before.

You are fading in a distant galaxy.

Not like it was before…