Canadian Immigration Services Citizenship Exam by Neil Griffin

Neil Griffin made the 2018 CBC Poetry Prize shortlist for Canadian Immigration Services Citizenship Exam.

He will receive $1,000 from theCanada Council for the Artsand will have his work published onCBCBooks.

The2018 CBCPoetry Prize winner was Natalie LimforArrhythmia.

You can readCanadian Immigration Services Citizenship Exambelow.

Canadian Immigration Services Citizenship Exam
After Lucie Brock-Broido's The American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act

What is the capital of New Brunswick? What is the importance
of Confederation? Who is your favourite prime minister
and why you may not use a Trudeau. What country
are you from? Is it a safe country? If it is, why
are you here? If it is not, why are you here?
How many gods do you worship? How many arms
would you say, on average, your gods have?
Do you like curry? Pronounce "Calgary."
What is a double-double? List
the components of a Bobby Orr hat-trick.
List the years in which Canada won gold
in hockey. List the ways in which
Louis Riel was a traitor. What colour
are the Prime Ministers socks? Would you describe him
as boyishly charming, or rakishly handsome?
We have no openings for physicists,
would you consider driving a cab?
We have a surfeit of engineers:
are you content to spend your nights
polishing the floors of our grandest
shopping malls? What does
"General Dynamics Land Systems Canada"
mean to you? You are from Yemen?
Have you ever seen snow? Can you handle
the cold? Define hypothermia.
Do you know what a toque is?
Do you know what wind-chill means?
Will your daughters ski
or snowboard? Will your parents
be a burden on the health system? Will
your sons join street gangs?
Who was Lester B. Pearson?
Describe the importance of Canada's commitment
to peace-keeping. You are from Rwanda?
You are from Bosnia? You are from Haiti?
Will you wear the poppy on Remembrance Day?
You are from Syria? Will you wear it.
You are from Afghanistan? Answer the question.
Will you wear the poppy on Remembrance Day?
Will you wear the poppy on Remembrance Day?

Read the other finalists

• (M)otherbySanitaFejzi
• Arrhythmiaby Natalie Lim
• Phone Sex with a One Time Lover on the West Coastby JulieMannell
• The Autobiography of Waterby BolaOpaleke

About Neil Griffin

Neil Griffin is an award-winning writer. His work has been published in Canada in FreeFall and Don't Talk to Me About Loveand internationally by the Lebowski Blog. He is currently studying writing at the University of Victoria.