Earning Tigar, a poem by Gerry Stefanson at Spillwords.com
Zulnureen Shariff

Earning Tiger

Earning Tiger

written & performed by: Gerry Stefanson

 

unlike a tiger, who arrives complete,
striped up from head to toe.
out of grasses unseen,
can ease back to retreat.
because a tiger knows.

we with tigers in our minds,
have to earn our stripes,
one at a time.
carefully done,
then symmetrically
In our tiger moves
on back, bellies, geometrically.
like a tiger does.

once we are striped upon,
gained our tigerish ways.
where do we find the courage
to step into the feline forays.

the Lion had a straw man,
and tin man with their flaws.
the tiger is more solitary
has just his mind, teeth and claws.

but the success of this large cat
is made of more than that
not just a warm fire
purring, roly poly and fat.

she is the hunt, the kill, the conniving
she is all of that counts and rates.
so wear your stripes,
you earn so well, trust self,
don’t rely on fate.

Gerry Stefanson

Gerry Stefanson

MAY 2022 AUTHOR OF THE MONTH at Spillwords Press
Born and raised on the prairies of Manitoba Canada, along the Red River and just south of Lake Winnipeg. Then Alberta and ten years in the Rockies, just above Montana. The last decade in the Canadian Gulf Islands. People, ideas and stories set the stage of my poetry and writing. Music and art fill my days and verse fills my head. I feel the fortunate one and share this world with my life partner.
Gerry Stefanson

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