I'm from the U.S. but I'd like to put my two-cents worth in about this if you don't mind. I feel that a poet laureate of any country should best represent the heart and soul of that country. They shouldn't plaster the flag all over their chest nor should they slip special interests into their back pocket. Their work should evoke the spirit of their nation and its people to the point where listening to their words gives one a clear impression of what that country is like. Mr. Lightfoot, by that standard, would make an excellent poet laureate (though he may not qualify by genre) because I remember the places I've seen in Canada when I think of them, but I feel Canada when I hear his songs. It's only about 350 miles from my house to the Canadian border, but Canada is definitely NOT "America Lite". It has its own blood flowing through its veins, and Mr. Lightfoot captures its color. We've had our poet laureates in the U.S. too, but (at the risk of offending some poetry fans) it seems an amorphous stream of consciousness passed off as free verse ain't quite what we need.
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