In this two‑part episode of Path of Public Service, host Katie Jensen presents an expansive portrait of Ontario’s second Poet Laureate, Matthew‑Ray “Testament” Jones, tracing both his personal evolution and his public impact. Together, this conversation explores how creative practice, cultural heritage, and service intersect and move from formative experiences and identity‑building to leadership, recognition, and responsibility. Across classrooms, communities, and performance spaces, Jones demonstrates how poetry operates as a tool for connection, care, and civic contribution. Through this two-part episode, we move from reflection to forward momentum, and close with a spoken‑word performance that anchors a philosophy of service in action, empathy, and collective healing.
In Part 2 of Path of Public Service, host Katie Jensen continues her conversation with Matthew‑Ray “Testament” Jones, Ontario’s second Poet Laureate. In this continued conversation, Jones reflects on his “why not me” mindset, the role of recognition in public service, and how poetry creates space for healing, connection, and expression across communities. He discusses his work with educators, seniors, survivors, and artists, highlighting how storytelling fosters empathy and collective resilience. The closing of this episode also explores his growing impact through Applaud partnerships, arts advocacy in Mississauga, and his forthcoming poetry collection. The conversation culminates in a powerful spoken-word performance inspired by his volunteering experience in the Philippines, underscoring art’s ability to honor unseen lives and inspire action.
Disclaimer:
Any statistics, facts or data references mentioned in this episode have not been independently verified and may not reflect the most accurate, complete, or current data. Please consult reliable sources for up-to-date and authoritative information.
[00:00:00] Katie Jensen: I am Katie Jensen, and this is the Path of Public Service from Applaud, celebrating people who have spent their lives working in Ontario's public sector. By the time Matthew-Ray Jones became Ontario's poet laureate in 2024, he was decades deep into working within classrooms, the community and his craft.
[00:00:19] Matthew-Ray Jones: 2025 is actually my 20th year anniversary of this work.
[00:00:23] Katie Jensen: and then he got a message from a friend:
[00:00:25] Matthew-Ray Jones: One day. A friend of mine sent me a LinkedIn posting and he said, Testament, this sounds like you. And then so I decided to put my name into the running, but something dawned on me through the process like. Why don't I put my name forward, like whether I get Poet Laureate or not. I made a commitment that I'm gonna put my foot forward.
[00:00:48] Katie Jensen: That perspective of “why not me” is exactly the same energy he brings to another creative practice. Vision boarding.
[00:00:54] Matthew-Ray Jones: I have one right here that I look at all the time.
[00:00:57] Katie Jensen: Of course, I asked if he had being the poet laureate or anything like it on his vision board:
[00:01:02] Matthew-Ray Jones: Not even remotely close.
[00:01:04] Katie Jensen: As Poet Laureate, he's been able to reach a wider range of people, some of whom are getting to experience spoken word poetry for the very first time.
[00:01:12] Matthew-Ray Jones: Just did a session last week, Friday with about 300 educators, and a person came up to me and they broke down in tears. Like the things that people take away from me, man, it's, that's the stuff that gives me goosebumps, right?
[00:01:27] Katie Jensen: And maybe hearing his poetry inspires them to write a verse of their own. At the end of this episode, we'll hear a brand-new piece, and who knows, it might just make you reach for the pen. And speaking of writing, if you haven't made a vision board for the New Year yet, you might start eyeballing that stack of old magazines after this. So, your kids do this vision board, do you do a vision board too?
[00:01:50] Matthew-Ray Jones: Absolutely. Absolutely. I have one right here that I look at all the time. Mm-hmm.
[00:01:56] Katie Jensen: Do you do it fresh every calendar year?
[00:01:58] Matthew-Ray Jones: I would say probably every two years.
[00:02:00] Katie Jensen: And how do you make them? Is it mostly writing? Is it images?
[00:02:03] Matthew-Ray Jones: Images?
[00:02:03] Katie Jensen: Okay.
[00:02:04] Matthew-Ray Jones: I love the images. I do have a couple of quotes, maybe a couple of scriptures up in there. But yeah, mostly images of like, the things that I wanna manifest in my life, like waking up on a beach every day, you know, the indoor basketball court, the private jet, and you know, some of those things. Just the, the visual piece to go with it. Yeah.
[00:02:21] Katie Jensen: I know some people, when they make their vision boards, they print stuff off. I like to use vintage magazines. What do you use?
[00:02:27] Matthew-Ray Jones: So I don't really have access to the magazines anymore. I used to do that, but now I find the images online, print them off at Staples. And then I still physically glue them.
[00:02:37] Katie Jensen: Yes.
[00:02:37] Matthew-Ray Jones: And then I print out smaller versions, so I like have a big one, but then I have smaller versions so I could have one in the car. I have one on in my office. I have one in my studio, so I could just pull it out. I have one on my refrigerator every time I open the fridge.
[00:02:51] Matthew-Ray Jones: I like to have it in multiple places because even if you don't stop and stare at it, your mind is recording it, right? And that's why I love the visual piece. So all of the above. But I gotta be honest, my favorite way was making it with the magazines, you know? But just like you know, I love the environment. Try and minimize on the paper as much as possible. I don't collect magazines the way that I used to, used to have like the National Geographic subscriptions and stuff like that. But because I don't have that anymore again, yeah, I just go print them off and then paste them.
[00:03:19] Katie Jensen: Yeah, I love that
[00:03:20] Matthew-Ray Jones: There's something definitely different about like flipping through the pages of these old magazines and newspapers and clippings that is different than searching for things online for sure.
[00:03:30] Katie Jensen: So, I mean, you may have been asked this before, but did you have being the Poet Laureate of Ontario on the vision board or anything close to it?
[00:03:39] Matthew-Ray Jones: Not even remotely close. You know, one thing for me is I've been doing what we call artist education work. 2025 is actually my 20th year anniversary of this work. An artist educator is somebody who's an active artist, but also has a passion for teaching, and so. I'm a community person. I've been making music for over 30 years. I love volunteering. Volunteering is very, very near and dear to my heart, you know, thanks to my mom again for exposing that to me. And it's something that has continued with me into my older age, but like.
[00:04:12] Matthew-Ray Jones: I'm that person, like, I'm just gonna do what I need to do. So if you're there in the community and we happen to be there, I don't promote, I'm not online like that. But then one day a friend of mine sent me a LinkedIn posting and he said, “Testament, this sounds like you." So I read the posting and I was like, I do this every day. “Like what? This, this is me.” And then so I decided to put my name into the running, but something dawned on me through the process like. Why don't I put my name forward? Like, why don't I want acknowledgement for the things that I've been doing? You know, I always thought it was like, you know, maybe ego or self-serving.
[00:04:51] Matthew-Ray Jones: So through the process, I made a declaration. I said, why not me? Whether I get Poet Laureate or not, I made a commitment that I'm gonna put my foot forward. If there is recognition or granting or any opportunity for something that I've been doing or that I have a passion for, I'm gonna put my best foot forward. And I made that declaration. But then on November 26th, 2024, I got installed as Ontario 2nd Poet Laureate. And it's been an amazing journey for me, but definitely. If my friend did not send me that posting, this is not something that I would be seeking for. I'm not looking for the awards. I don't need the applause or the acknowledgement, but again, through this process, I said, this is not about ego. It's about execution. And I have been executing at a high level. I come from a not-for-profit background, worked for a charity for about 10 years, helped them scale and do various works. And I look at my body of work and I say, well, you know what, this is not about ego. We're just looking at what you've done. And if there's acknowledgement for this work, why not me? You know?
[00:05:58] Katie Jensen: I also love that you were obviously showing up authentically enough for your friend to be able to make that connection for you. And what an amazing thing to have that where you know, you're surrounding yourself with people who obviously see how great you are and can find things for you, you know, up until you're ready to say, why not me right?
[00:06:21] Matthew-Ray Jones: Absolutely. And like that's such a great point, you know, because sometimes we need others to see the things that we don't see about ourselves. Right. And I am so grateful for those that pour into me. And very often, like literally every presentation I do, somebody comes up to me and they're offering words, and I always look them directly in their eye and I let them know like, your words are not lost on me.
[00:06:43] Matthew-Ray Jones: I'm a words person. Like, thank you for taking the time to say what it is that you said. I'm not just saying thank you, like, “Oh, thanks. Keep it moving.” No, like the fact that you took time to let me know how my words or my presentation or my art landed with you means the world to me. And as I mentioned, I'm a lifelong learner. Like people say things to me that I didn't even consider when creating. Or it resonates or brings up a memory for them that that's not my experience. So that wasn't something that was even on my radar, you know? So I'm so very grateful to all of the people that take their time to give me words of affirmation, positivity, feedback, right?
[00:07:24] Matthew-Ray Jones: Like I did an event. Last week I was in Grimsby at the library and it was a little bit snowy. So you know, the turnout wasn't as great but me, I do the same presentation for 20,000 or 2. It doesn't matter. So I did my presentation and there was this older gentleman in the audience and like he did not show any emotion at all. At all. But then after the presentation, we're having a conversation, he's like, you did a great job. You're amazing. And he goes, the only thing I'll offer you is, is that you know you never wanna be over people's heads. And I was like, yeah, you're right. And he's like, yeah, because you know, people are always gonna be taking things out of context and so on and so forth.
[00:08:03] Matthew-Ray Jones: So just make sure you're very direct in what you wanna say. And I was like, oh, thank you for that, giving me that. Like however I interpret that, whatever it's his intention may be something different, but the person's expression doesn't always indicate how into your presentation. They really are because if I was basing it on his facial expression, I'd be like, man, this dude trying to get outta here, he doesn't wanna be in my presentation. But that wasn't even the case. He's just a very analytical person, and I appreciate that. I believe we need all different angles, and I love that, like, I love the, the way things land. You know, there's this saying that says we're meaning making machines and I love consuming art myself, but it's often a surprise to me what the artist intended. And what I took away from it, you know, and I always love to know, you know, how things are landing with people. 'cause it gives me new perspective, new ideas, different ways that I could approach things that I created even in a brand-new light. You know?
[00:09:00] Katie Jensen: Is the appointment of Poet Laureate a lifetime position?
[00:09:04] Matthew-Ray Jones: No. So actually, it is only a two-year term. So I'm exactly one year through my term. I got one more year to go and time goes quickly. Let me tell you, I can't even believe that one year is up. It's been an amazing journey, but yes, it is. It's a two-year term. So the Poet Laureate Act came out in 2019. Rest in peace to Gord Downey from the Tragically Hip. It came out in his memory, but because the first poet laureate, shout out to Randell, who's a good friend of mine, the first poet Laureate of Ontario, because his term started over COVID, they extended his term. So his term was much longer than the two years.
[00:09:43] Matthew-Ray Jones: But now that things are sort of back on track. It is the two-year term with me. So we're already gonna be looking for Ontario's next Poet Laureate. So any of you closet writers out there, authors, anybody? Put your foot forward, why not you? You could be Ontario's next Poet Laureate.
[00:10:01] Katie Jensen: So what has happened in the first year and what do you have planned for 2026?
[00:10:06] Matthew-Ray Jones: I'll give you some of the highlights and one of the things that I've really, really appreciated about the Poet Laureate position is the spaces and communities that it's brought me into. And what I mean by that is I've always sort of serviced the youth and those who work with the youth, whether that's teachers, social workers, child and youth workers, superintendents, trustees, all those sort of levels around education.
[00:10:30] Matthew-Ray Jones: But now I'm connecting with people on a different level where, for example, they're using poetry to deal with things like trauma. Various types of trauma. You know, I connected with an organization called The Gatehouse. They also started something called the Global Poetry Movement. So they reached out to me to offer a piece for a book that's gonna be published next year with Random House. And their goal is to have it in all, you know, universities and colleges as a guideline as to how poetry can actually help people heal. Very specifically around people that have been victims or have suffered with childhood sexual abuse. Right? So that's something that like. I know about, but I never was in the space.
[00:11:11] Matthew-Ray Jones: So I've been attending their conferences. I'm a part of them creating materials. I have conversations with survivors, victims, people that are supports within the community. So it broadens my horizons in terms of the impact of poetry and art. Like I know that it's powerful, but when you see people actively picking up and doing that. It's so very awesome.
[00:11:31] Matthew-Ray Jones: Working with Applaud has been amazing. I've been able to go on a little bit of a road trip. We did Thunder Bay, we did Kingston, we did Kitchener, and I was moving around to these various events, and I let people know that when we were in Thunder Bay, I had a gentleman in my workshop that was 99 years old. We doing creative writing with older people and stuff like that. And like even after some of the sessions, some of the people come up to me and they'll be like, Matthew. You know, when I saw that we were gonna be doing this, I didn't know how you were gonna be able to connect with us. You did a great job.
[00:12:07] Matthew-Ray Jones: And then they share with me what they took away from it, or they'll tell me a story, or I met a couple that was married for 65 years and I'm like, wow. Like what a beautiful, beautiful testimony to the community. So it's things like that that have really stood out for me since coming into this position. People have just opened their arms and given me great, great opportunity, especially Dwayne Morgan, whether that's interviews, different events. He's actually celebrating his 32nd year of using poetry and spoken word full time, and he has an event that he's been doing for over 25 years called When Brothers Speak, and I was honored to be one of the features at the St. Lawrence Performing Arts Center. We had a performance, and not only that. Dwayne got us a billboard at Sankofa Square, so my face was up on a billboard and all of this kind of stuff, and it's only because, you know, not only are these people amazing poets in their own right and activists in the community, but they like to build up others.
[00:13:08] Matthew-Ray Jones: They're not the type of people that just hoard resources and opportunity for themselves. They've opened it up and I am so very grateful because like I said, I've never been the person that's gonna promote myself or do all of these kinds of things. Like if you're there and I'm there, cool, that's enough for me. But now that I've sort of stepped forward and I have this designation, the community has been so very supportive for me, and that's an absolute highlight. Another highlight for me is I'm a part of a program called Love Local Music in partnership with the Canadian Music Incubator program. So being a part of that program, it allowed me to throw events in one of my favorite spaces.
[00:13:47] Matthew-Ray Jones: You know, it's Saga City forever. The Living Arts Center in Mississauga. It's an amazing venue, but it's not always accessible because it's really, really expensive. But through this grant. Program that I'm in, they paid for the venue for me. So I was able to throw an amazing event and I invited out a bunch of people from the community, mentors, colleagues, other friends, my children were a part of it as well, I brought my brother into it, so that's an absolute highlight for me. Just being able to take all of these road trips, you know, even though it's just in Ontario, I love connecting, meeting people, going to the local bookshops, little private movie theaters, random conversations you get into with people on the waterfront and stuff like that.
[00:14:30] Matthew-Ray Jones: It has allowed me to be able to slow down. Really enjoy some of the moments without pressure. So again, it's brought me into all these different spaces and places that I didn't necessarily navigate prior to being in this role, and I'm very, very grateful for that.
[00:14:48] Katie Jensen: I'm thinking about your workshops that you've been doing, obviously they've been helping people with the literal act of literacy. What have they said about the workshops that you've held with them and how they've kind of been changed by them?
[00:15:01] Matthew-Ray Jones: The things that people take away. Man, it's, that's the stuff that gives me goosebumps. Right? You know, I just did a session last week, Friday with about 300 educators, and a person came up to me and they broke down in tears and they were like, you know what? “I have such a hard time paying attention, even as an educator, but your words really brought healing for me. There's things that I can take away from this that I can bring into other spaces.” And when I hear that. Oh, my goodness. It fills my soul with so much joy because as I said, like we don't gotta go there, but there's so much going on in the world and we can't look at people and know what they're dealing with.
[00:15:41] Matthew-Ray Jones: So many people are going through depression, mental health and wellbeing at an all-time low grieving, struggling to do a lot of different things. And so when people talk to me about. You know, personal things in their life, or you reminded me of this, or I haven't done that in a long time, thank you for the reminder that my words are powerful. It's those things that resonate with me. You know, I'm a performer, like I'm gonna use my art to hook people. I feel that I'm a certain level, like I can entertain. But it's those moments when people really get vulnerable and actually talk about the things that they're experiencing, like, you know. People will share, you know, I just lost a mother. You know, I recently broke up here and there, and your words have now given me inspiration to keep moving forward. You know, it's those things that people tell me where I'm just like, as I said earlier, I make sure I look them in their face and let them know like, “your words are not lost on me, right?”
[00:16:36] Matthew-Ray Jones: Because we're all going through things. In different ways. It takes a community to heal and sometimes people just need somebody to listen, right? So I try my best, you know, I got a big mouth. So after the presentation, I did all the talking. You all could talk, and I can take that away now. But man, the way people just open up, especially young people, right? Like I've had educators come up to me and be like. I've been working with this student for three years. I've never heard this, and it speaks to the power of the arts and storytelling to maybe bypass some of these societal barriers and really hit the core of what people are experiencing, right? There's a saying that says like, you know, people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.
[00:17:18] Matthew-Ray Jones: So one thing that I've come into practice of doing is before all of my presentations, is inviting people to take away the pieces that resonate with them and the parts that don't. Don't even worry about it. Right? Because maybe there are things that I'm saying that are not for you. Maybe there are things that might trigger you. I don't know what people are dealing with, but I find that that invitation opens up the presentation in a new way, and I'm so grateful that, you know, that's something that came across my path in terms of how to approach it and invite people into the process.
[00:17:49] Katie Jensen: Do you find that you're still moved just as much watching other people perform their poetry live?
[00:17:55] Matthew-Ray Jones: A hundred percent. Oh, my goodness. That is like one of my favorite things of all. Like I love consuming all types of art. Whether you're talking about visual arts, I listen to every genre of music that you can think about, whether we're talking about movies, films. I love art in general, and my favorite thing to do. Is watch somebody talk or experience something that they're passionate about, like I could literally know nothing about it, but just watching the way their demeanor, their body language changes, or their face or their spirit lights up when they're engaged with something that activates them, that gives me the motivation to go and create something else as well. I love that. I love live shows. I love live music. That is something that always gives me great, great inspiration. For sure.
[00:18:44] Katie Jensen: Can you tell me how you've seen Mississauga's investment in the arts change over the course of your lifetime?
[00:18:50] Matthew-Ray Jones: Ugh. Immensely and in exciting ways. You know, I've always said that Mississauga got some of the greatest talent, but you know, one thing about Mississauga is that it's very, very spread out and a lot of the talent have to sort of flock to Toronto and whatnot. So I always let local artists from Mississauga know this is a very, very excited time. A lot of money is being pumped into Mississauga. In the Arts sector, the city is really shifting and changing. There's a lot of different plans. If you have not signed up with the Mississauga Arts Council and you're from Mississauga or Peel region, make sure you do that because not only are they interested in paying artists, but they have, grants, microgrants, large grants, different types of programming, artists and residents. They're also a great resource hub, not only for you to promote some of the things that you might be doing, but also some of the other things that might not be on your radar in terms of places that you can place your art, your music, or your products, or your services, right?
[00:19:47] Matthew-Ray Jones: Mississauga has long promised artists, like a hub space, a space where we can cultivate artists and slowly it's starting to happen. So I put this on the radar of young artists to get out there. There are many, many performance platforms. We have Celebration Square, which is another huge outdoor venue, tons of different festivals. Usually they sort of attract some of the bigger artists, but right beside Celebration Square, we also have a small outdoor amphitheater, which I host a variety of different events out there with local talent, comedians, singer songwriters, MCs, dancers, all kind of things. So I say all of this to say that Mississauga is on the rise right now when it comes to the Arts.
[00:20:29] Matthew-Ray Jones: If you are a creative or talented in any way, shape or form, Mississauga Arts Council is a good place to start. Because they can also branch you out into other areas. So I'm really excited for Mississauga. Growing up in Saga, we always said Saga City forever. We got the best talent. We have so many artists that go on to do huge things, but we do wanna have an incubator in the community where people don't always feel like they need to leave. And I think that the community's doing a great job of supporting artists with resources. Again, like the Love Local music program that I'm a part of through the Canadian Music Incubator, uh, is also partnered with the film and music Division of Mississauga, as well as Royal Bank Canada. So there's a lot of great support that's happening right now for people that are artistic.
[00:21:14] Matthew-Ray Jones: I'm also doing a music series where we offer programming for those that are interested in the music industry once a month with Case Community Services. We're doing that program all the way until April. So there's a lot of really, really cool things that are happening in Mississauga and the Peel region, and they are actively trying to activate some of these spaces. So, abosuletey thank you Mississauga. Mississauga artists, get your stuff out there. We need to hear from you. Trust me.
[00:21:41] Katie Jensen: I think a lot of people look at that and they think, oh, well, you know, I'm not gonna get a grant. Like what I'm doing doesn't matter. But it's like they're gonna give the money out anyway.
[00:21:50] Matthew-Ray Jones: Correct.
[00:21:50] Katie Jensen: The money has to be spent, so that it can be replenished, so,
[00:21:54] Matthew-Ray Jones: So why doesn't it come to you?
[00:21:55] Katie Jensen: Exactly. Yeah. Are you working on any volumes of poetry right now?
[00:21:59] Matthew-Ray Jones: I am. So like, I'm actually waiting to put out my first book, and a lot of people are surprised that I haven't put out a book yet, and they're like, how are you the Poet Laureate but don’t have a book? So different than other poet laureates in municipalities. The municipalities pick some of the criteria. So for example, in order to become the Poet Laureate of Mississauga, you have to have written a book. But with the Ontario Poet Laureate, there's two different streams. Okay? There's the stream where you've put out work. Or there's the stream where you can show at least 10 years of impacting the community through your work. So that was the stream that I came through. So I'm excited right now. I'm working on my first collection of poetry. I'm not gonna say the title right now, but I put in an Ontario Arts Council grant.
[00:22:48] Matthew-Ray Jones: I'm hoping to hear in the next coming weeks if I got the grant. But even in any case, my book hopefully will be coming out next year. Any publishers listening to it, I'm looking for some publishing. If you're interested in Ontario’s second poet Laureate in my book, holler at me. You can check me out at ontariopoet.org. That's also a place where you can see some poetry that I've been collecting quarterly. I submit work to the assembly that they own and they can archive on their website because I am a performance poet. They also have the pieces that you can listen to, so you got the audio as well as the visual. And I also have the blog up there, but I am currently working on my poetry collection first book. My goal is 2026, but just know absolutely, yes, it is in the works and it is on its way. Put that good energy out for me. Then I'm gonna get this Ontario Arts Council grant. But regardless, absolutely working on that. That's, that's in the works.
[00:23:41] Katie Jensen: I was wondering if you wanted to share any pieces of poetry to give people a flavor.
[00:23:45] Matthew-Ray Jones: For sure. I could give a little taste. You know, I love to travel. Volunteering is very near and dear to my heart. And March of this year with one of my mentors from the Toronto Catholic District School Board, we took about 22 students and we went to the Philippines. We're in the Philippines; we're out there for about three weeks. We partnered with an organization called ANCOP answering the cry of the poor. So, you know, we're laying concrete, we're painting, we're drywalling, we're gardening. But then I stayed for a week after so I could hang out. But this next piece that I'm gonna share with you is a piece that I debuted at my event on September 27th, and I've been sharing since then, and it's all based on my experience in the Philippines.
[00:24:32] Matthew-Ray Jones:
I saw you but you didn't see me.
You'll never see me.
You'll actually never know I even existed.
But I will always remember you.
I was passing by in an air-conditioned car,
and your plight touched my heart and evoked these words.
I pray that you know that even though you live in desolation,
your life matters.
I need you to understand that every time I write, I write for you.
No, you don't know me and you don't need to know me.
But because I saw you, I've been compelled to speak.
See, life seems to tell me that you're poor because you don't have money or physical possessions.
But my spirit tells me you're stronger than a tsunami.
See where I'm from?
People can let opportunity slip from their grasp with a shoulder shrug awaiting the next one, but you don't even know where your opportunity is.
Each day you spend it trying to survive and get another meal,
and my heart is pierced, not in pity,
but in piety and my pen pronounces judgment on generations and generations that have made it this way.
I won't even say it's unfair, it's unethical, it's inhumane, it's actually disgusting, and I'm not just talking about the living conditions.
I'm ashamed that earth beings and the abyss of selfishness that has caused us to become cold to the cry of the suffering.
I will never blame God for something we can fix.
I will never blame a creator.
For something we can fix.
'cause to me, that's just an excuse, an excuse for not wanting to create the solution.
Maybe not now.
Maybe not ever how I see in my mind's eye, but a solution nonetheless,
maybe we can stack ideas on top of ideas and feed the world food for thought that could fill hungry bellies and minds.
I saw you.
You never saw me, you'll never see me.
You'll actually never know I even existed.
But I will always remember you and I want the world to know.
I saw you.
Thank you.
[00:26:48] Katie Jensen: That made my brain feel fizzy.
[00:26:51] Matthew-Ray Jones: Hopefully in a good way.
[00:26:53] Katie Jensen: So good. You can feel that you're a performer. Like the cadence of your voice just translates so well to being carried across bodies of people.
[00:27:04] Matthew-Ray Jones: Thank you for that. I appreciate you.
[00:27:06] Katie Jensen: That was so good.
[00:27:07] Matthew-Ray Jones: Yeah, that's one of my favorite pieces right now, you know, just totally inspired me. Like, I mean, the Philippines got a lot of people out there. I've been all around the world and you know, the levels of poverty that I saw blew my mind, but like the spirit of the people. The love, the genuine compassion. I was like, man, in North America we got some work to do. You know, 'cause we got jobs, we got this, we got that, but yet we still not happy. And these people don't have much, but they're just like happy. So, you know, it is my joy to sort of celebrate their stories and their voices in any way that I can because they don't know who I am. But I know who they are, so what a pleasure. Katie. It's been connecting with you. I'm so grateful to Applaud and the whole team there, Megan and Hannah, and all the people that I've gotten to connect with, you all have helped me accomplish some of my work as Poet Laureate, because I know you all, service Ontario as well, been able to travel on the road, whether online, in different communities and stuff like that.
[00:28:06] Matthew-Ray Jones: So I applaud, all of you at Applaud, thank you for your work and I look forward to more partnerships with you. Thank you for giving me the space to share my voice. I'm so grateful you, you all at the team. Y'all are amazing and I love the work that you all do, and it's been a great synergy. We've supported each other and I look forward to more.We just getting started, you know.
[00:28:28] Katie Jensen: Thanks for listening. Applaud is proud to showcase the dedication of those who make decisions for the greater good and strive to leave the world a better place for all Canadians. All personal views expressed by guests and our hosts are their own Applaud will continue to recognize those in public service, offer a kaleidoscope of perspectives, and operate in good faith to build trust with Applaud members and all public citizens. You can share feedback on this episode by visiting ApplaudPublicService.ca.