Novelist Claire Cameron has assembled a found poem titled 'Zamboni dreams' using phrases from interviews, videos, and articles about ice resurfacers. The piece portrays the role of Zamboni drivers in hockey culture. Cameron, author of the award-winning memoir 'How to Survive a Bear Attack', explores the machine's mechanics and allure.
Claire Cameron, a novelist and essayist whose memoir 'How to Survive a Bear Attack' recently won the Governor-General’s Literary Award for Non-Fiction, has created a found poem centered on Zamboni drivers. Published on February 28, 2026, the poem draws from various sources to capture the essence of operating ice resurfacers in hockey arenas.
The poem begins by noting the fascination they inspire: 'There are three things in life that people like to stare at a flowing stream a crackling fire and a Zamboni clearing the ice.' It corrects a common term, stating, 'I’m gonna correct you on the word “Zamboni” —actually called ice resurfacers if you knew, you either play hockey or maybe you’re Canadian.'
Cameron describes the machine's function: 'Behind the blades two jets of cold water spray onto the ice and are mixed with the snow in the pit the resulting slush fills in cracks.' Drivers must maintain precision: 'A Zamboni must be driven at a steady, careful pace cutting inch-thin layers of ice while spreading a thin layer that freezes into a flawless finish.' The vehicle handles like a truck, with blades that actually cut the ice.
The job brings a degree of fame: 'It’s not unusual for drivers to attain moderate celebrity status you are every kids’ dream it’s the best job in the world.' Yet it has challenges: 'I’ve slipped on the ice you’re wet and cold' and risks like 'Make sure you don’t suck up an errant puck sometimes, the hoses fly sending grown men running for cover.'
The poem conveys the Zamboni's hypnotic quality: 'A Zamboni circling the ice casts some sort of enchantment there’s something oddly satisfying fans often stay glued to their seats mesmerized by the machine’s rhythmic loops.' It concludes philosophically: 'The zamboni is more than a machine it is a reminder nothing stays smooth forever that simple act of resurfacing keeps us moving.'
This work joins Cameron's series of found poems, including pieces on 2025, complaints, coffee prices, the Watergate scandal, and AI romance.
