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Award-winning B.C. poet shares message of post-pandemic hope

Seven-minute clip talks about 'dancing, dating, beaches and ferris wheels... live concerts, open mics, music and art'

Penticton poet and award-winning spoken word artist Shane Koyczan has penned and performed a reflection on the pandemic and a message of hope for 2022.

"A Tomorrow" was written when the pandemic began, but Koyczan chose to release it now, calling the message relevant now.

"I’m definitely nearing the end of my rope with I’m able to do, and the finish line continues to move farther away. Having said all that, I think we still need a dose of hope to help us get through this," he wrote of the piece.

He recorded the seven-minute poem and set it to music by Mark Bérubé, with video editing from Abbey Doucet.

"There will be a tomorrow, a time for all the ideas whose time has finally come," the poem reads.

"It can be better. Yesterday cannot be in charge of what tomorrow is set to inherit."

Koyczan posted the video to his YouTube page on New Year's Eve, with the message: "I’m wishing you all the very best and hope to see you in 2022. Love to you and yours."

Watch the full video above.