Positive

Tags

Elaine Stirling, emotional choice, expansion, free verse, neutrality, perceptions, poetry, point of attraction, self-appreciation, self-pity, simplicity

The only face
that is unreal
that lurks behind
the unresolved
does not exist
the all or nothing
that I say to hide
confusion in the
pleats of
meaningless
then wait until
the back of what
I fear is turned
before I show
the muted hues
and find the words
to make my case
misunderstood
oh, woe
the neutral mask
does not exist
it is the only lie
for all attracts
for good or ill
of this and more
of same, it is
enough, I may
be positive

~~~

© Elaine Stirling ,2013
The beautiful image of carved masks comes from
Bugei World Gifts at http://www.tacticaledgeinternational.com.

Leading Edge or Precipice?

Tags

Elaine Stirling, form poetry, point of attraction, sonnet, the unknowable, trusting the unknown, we are what we think

Leading edge or precipice, I cannot
tell, at times, the difference—the cracking
of a grimace or a grin, all I’ve got
to judge by is the vast unseen backing
of unknowable, or puny thoughts I
milk that, known, smell justified. By girdling,
I protect the sordid, keep a cold eye
out for more. Why not consent to hurtling
through space? Ride some small joy to escalate
the trust. I’ve reached this far, I’m pretty sure
the means by which to further acclimate
will come and come again. From fear, abjure!
From in this sphere, I recognize your smile;
along this leading edge, let’s rest awhile.

~~~

© Elaine Stirling, 2013
Image by author of Quirke Lake,
Ontario, Canada

Autumnal Renaissance

Tags

a love poem, cycles, Elaine Stirling, new romance, renewal, seasonal verse

Talk runs high
these days of fall
a trend that apprehends
what-all I view as missed
or ill-begotten, half sung
not quite tragedy but dull
from over-chiming of
regret at how our time
was spent, and yet it seems
to me that every hue upon
the colour wheel, every
quarter turn of life invigorates
the leaf through pages that
reveal a beauty never seen
until the likes of you and I
first meet again and touch
and wander, eye to eye.

~~~

© Elaine Stirling, 2013

Who’s Doing Right?

Tags

cause and effect, circularity, corporate strategies, economic realities, Elaine Stirling, narrative poetry, pharmaceutical marketing, poetry, The Corporate Storyteller, things one hears, where are the brave new business leaders

They put a boy on drugs
today. He’s one of every ten
in schools where bathroom
walls are riddled with graffiti
carved by blood and switch
blades, and the parents
some who use but mostly
do their best since jobs
that don’t involve deep
fryers went the global way
think maybe it’s okay
though when you’ve been
up stocking shelves all night
and rent still can’t be paid
it’s hard to know, and anyway
the school’s being paid—the
drugs are free, and teachers
they can only do so much, so
who’s to say those well-heeled
men and ladies who take
principals for lunch at five-star
restaurants with promises
of soccer balls and Macs for
kids whose poverty is not
their fault don’t think in their
cold hearts they’re doing right?

~~~

© Elaine Stirling, 2013

Triviotics

Tags

baggage comes in many forms, Elaine Stirling, enjoy this sunny day, humour for the sake of humour please, I'm wearying mightily of tags, neologues, not everything is deep & fraught with meaning, parody, poetry, poetry for word junkies, portmanteau, The Corporate Storyteller

A homage
like pottage
has a huffy
sort of sound.
An homage
like fromage
is more cheesy.

Portmanteaus
on the other hand
by emphasis give
the sense of a busman’s
foot, except they’re
baggage, which is
how I would define
the urge to spell
the word for blended
words, portmanteaux—
a triviotic bit of truly
nothing much.

~~~

© Elaine Stirling, 2013

Of a Sunday

Tags

alignment, appreciation, Elaine Stirling, free verse, harmony, letting be, meditation, poetry, point of attraction, relaxation of thought, The Corporate Storyteller

Of a Sunday
I shall let the sinew
of these words resound
a violin, accord with
peace. Is harmony so
hard to hear, or have I
deafened for the sake
of fear of being less
than right?

On other days
I might attune to
greater deeds than
these of penning words
or not—a phrase of praise
for you, my friend, I doubt
will go amiss for every
thing at sea must come
to land in time and if my
thoughts should falter
I will side with nothing
much until the laughter
rises in these eyes
again, and who you
are to me brings
passages of
greater clarity.

~~~

© Elaine Stirling, 2013
Image of violinist by Theresa Rankin
http://www.theresarankinfineart.blogspot.ca

Paint

Tags

be easy on yourself, brave new business leadership, confidence, covering up, Elaine Stirling, free verse, healthy ego, humour, insecurities, poetry for fun, self-reflection, The Corporate Storyteller

No matter how
many coats of paint
I paint the past
it’s passed, the point
of paint, of course,
to beautify, protect,
to cover and reflect
what otherwise I might
reject for being plain,
unvarnished, bare…
bare like branches in
late fall, bare like
weathered sheds
and truth—egad,
no, not the truth!

And when I paint
to cover, glossing over
bumps and flaws, I call
them out, though not
to play, there is no fun
in imperfection—can
there be?

And in my fear
that you might see
the curvatures of life
as she displays herself
with some magnificence
through me, I’ll focus
on your semi-nakedness,
the neither-here-nor-there
of you that is the me, stuck
in the past, reflected, and
I’ll point them out quite
helpfully—just there, a little
flaw. Hold still, I have
the perfect paint.

~~~

© Elaine Stirling, 2013

Lessons From a Lemon Tree

Tags

allowing, bees, brave new business leadership, Elaine Stirling, free verse, fun and relaxation, Law of Attraction, lemon tree, lessons from Nature, let it be, let's try believing all is well, poetry, The Corporate Storyteller

In letting it be
how much
of the it
should I let
be?
All?
That does
feel somewhat
lazy, though what
else have I to
offer but my
letting?

For if something
does somewhere
know best, I’d
rather learn
from
it
than spout
the bits I know
and prove how
little of the its
there are
and if
there’s nothing
anywhere that knows
the fix and how
of things then
freer still I am
to watch
the hind
end
of
a
bee.

~~~

© Elaine Stirling, 2013

The Future in Her Eyes

Tags

attitude, Canadian photographer, Elaine Stirling, family, form poetry, inspiration, Nick Stirling Photography, positive future, sonnet

The future in her eyes, I see delight
for coming mysteries with atlases
and paths untold, her mind by love set right
has all the mighty gods and goddesses
attuned to bring about the best, a world
we need not fear, a secret smile so dear—
and she is not alone, this blue-eyed girl
in seeing daily miracles appear.
We are awash in growing muses if
we would but look beyond our misery;
the news we feed each other can uplift
or not, the choice for joy or gravity
in every moment shines, and hers is clear:
for love it is that we are gathered here.

~~~

© Elaine Stirling, 2013
Image © 2013 Nick Stirling Photography
More of Nick’s photography can be viewed here.