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.
- Sails Alone in Poor Company - September 8, 2023
- New Waves on an Old Shore - August 10, 2023
- The Price - July 5, 2023
