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CORMAN PARK, SASK. — On a sunny weekend at a small-town flower market, nestled between rows of blooms and handmade crafts, one table stood out.
Not for its size or decorations, but for the unexpected delight it offered: poems for sale.
Handwritten, heartfelt and just a dollar or two, these tiny treasures were the work of Genevieve Lacelle, a fourth grader at South Corman Park School with a passion for poetry and an eye for joy.
Listen to the story on Behind the Headlines:
She may only be nine, but she’s already discovered something it takes many people a lifetime to learn — that words can lift spirits and brighten days.
Like a popsicle on a hot day or a breeze through the trees, Genevieve’s “Summer” poem captures the quiet magic of sunny moments. (Submitted)
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A poet amongst the petals
It all began with a simple idea.
“I realized that I’m really good at writing poems,” Genevieve said. “And then I just thought, ‘Hey, why don’t I sell some poems and make some money?’”
After seeing classmates sell stickers at a local flower market, she decided to join in with her own unique twist.
She calls it her “poem money” — a treasure box for the dollars earned sharing happiness, one handwritten line at a time. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)
Genevieve, who goes by the nickname “Genie,” launched her poetry business under the whimsical moniker Genie in a Bottle Poetry.
“Well, because my nickname is Genie, and it’s spelled exactly the same way as Genie in a Bottle,” she explained.
At her table, handwritten poems were carefully laid out for passersby. The larger ones sold for $2, the smaller for $1. And they didn’t last long.
She sold out — twice — and walked away with nearly $100. “A lot of people asked me who I was and how old I was,” she said. “And they were pretty shocked that I was only nine years old.”
With her business off to a great start, Genevieve’s passion for poetry has continued to grow.
In “Butterflies,” joy flutters softly across the page. (Submitted)
Sprouting joy, one poem at a time
With a sparkle in her eye and a notebook in hand, she’s written 10 poems so far, all centred around things that make her happy.
“I usually [write about] happy things, like love, kindness. They’re all about joy and happiness and that stuff,” she said.
The titles of her works, like “Butterflies,” “The Moon” and “Summer,” reflect her sunny outlook.
At her bedroom desk, where thoughts bloom into verse, Genevieve writes the kind of poems that feel like sunshine. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)
“Two of them are about kindness,” she said. “One’s pretty obvious. My poem ‘Kindness,’ and then there’s, ‘I See the Stars.’ It’s about joy. But joy and kindness are like the same things, kind of.”
Ask Genevieve what a poem is, and you won’t get a textbook definition. “A poem could be a lot of different things,” she explained thoughtfully. “Some people write poems in lines like William Shakespeare, and some people just really write poems like the normal way with pen and paper.”
To her, poems don’t need rules or rhyme schemes to count — they can be fancy and dramatic, or just a few honest words jotted down at the desk in her bedroom. Either way, she’s happy to give it a go.
“Kindness” comes in many forms. For Genevieve, it’s a few carefully chosen words shared with the world. (Submitted)
Verses in full bloom
Though she hasn’t written any sad poems (“Not yet,” she said), it’s not because she doesn’t understand sadness — she just prefers to write when her heart is light.
“I can’t really write poems when I’m like feeling down. That’s just not how I work,” she explained. “Since I write poems about happy things, I can’t really think of a happy idea when I’m grumpy.”
Just because her poems are full of sunshine doesn’t mean the work is all light and breezy.
Genevieve puts real thought into every composition. “I usually think really hard, and I use a spare piece of paper to write out any sort of rhyming word that comes to my head.”
In her cozy poetry nook beneath a loft bed, Genie conjures up lines that lift spirits, one rhyme at a time. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)
Her love of language doesn’t end with poetry. “I’m one of the smartest kids in my class,” she said confidently. “And I know, like, a lot of words. And I once read a dictionary just for fun.”
Still, even the most gifted writers get a little nervous now and then — and Genevieve is no exception. “I actually do feel kind of nervous when people are reading my poetry,” she admitted. “I don’t know why. I just can’t really help myself from being nervous.”
But that hasn’t stopped her. The joy she brings others gives her the courage to keep going. “I feel really good about myself — that I’m making people’s days better, making them happier,” she said. “It makes me feel really, like, proud.”
So, what’s next for Genevieve and her poems? She’ll be back at it later this month, ready to share more joy, one poem at a time.
With a poem in hand and a smile as bright as her verses, Genevieve Lacelle proves that even the smallest voices can spark joy. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)
Catch Genie in a Bottle Poetry at the Prairie Flower Market!
Sunday, September 21st | 4 – 7 PM
1760 Baker Road, Corman Park
