Stares to Other Places
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Breaking the Surface
Bouncing over blue-green water, roaring motor behind us,
We laugh and talk through the wind and spray,
Out to look for whales,
Black and white orcas over thirty miles away,
A long distance to go by boat. We hope
to see them
Break the surface to breathe.
My children lean into the wind, three in front of me,
One by my side...sturdy adults, always my children.
How do they move so fast?
Each was born over thirty years ago,
A long distance to here. My hopes for
them
Break the surface to breathe.
Three children in front of me, one by my side,
Drenched, red coveralls, orange boat, looking for orcas.
Nothing is black and white. All is
color.
Weighting
I stare at a puckered
line
Starting at my navel and going south.
My body parts seem to be working.
Restrictions lifted, I muck stalls, ride horses,
Hoist grandchildren in the air.
But every three months
I face another blood test.
The sides of our driveway
are now bare,
Old brown trees removed, turned into mulch.
New ones with strong roots,
Green leaves will take their places.
In the field, a yearling jumps, kicks, spins
Goes back to grazing.
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Book Details
About the Book
The seven sections of Stares to Other Places address life’s
fundamental issues: Parts of our past
fall away and relationships are healed.
Close friends and loved ones leave this world, leaving us with
impressions in the sand and images in our dreams. Cancer strikes, altering
body and soul. Everyday
experiences take on new meanings. Early
life and relationships mold our adult lives.
And we experience love of our mate, children, and grandchildren. Hirsch’s poems address these themes with
clarity and compassion, with wisdom and an open heart.
“Maurice L. Hirsch, Jr.,
distills, from the ordinary and not so ordinary things and events in his life,
extraordinary metaphors, which invite his readers to wander through his poems,
with delight and wonderment, and discover in them the beauty and profundity he
sees and creates anew. These poems will inspire you with their gentleness,
compassion, warmth, and joy.”
Louis Daniel Brodsky,
author of Paper-Whites for Lady Jane and Forever, for Now
About the Author
Maurice L. Hirsch, Jr. began writing poetry after a career
in academia. He received an MBA and
Ph.D. in Accounting from
Hirsch has been a horseman for over thirty years, breeding,
training, riding, and showing Paso Fino horses.
He is a board member of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and
Chesterfield Arts, and serves on the City of
Hirsch and his wife live in