I came to be free
Poems on grief, love, and renewal · PJ Starling
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The poems
All nine, in full. Tap any stanza to make a card of it.
Read the poem
Flower of winter
The flowers of spring
Have dropped to the ground
The leaves have descended
And are scattered all around
I mourn them, my flowers
They retreat with the sun
And are swallowed by soil
For summer’s all done
And rain soaks the earth
As I shelter with fire
And I dream of the sunlight
Before summer retired
Winter so cold
No flowers dare bloom
For the sun only glimmers
Through great clouds of doom
My hope fades away
With each passing day
My skin stings from cold
And my eyes drip with rain
Oh flowers of summer
Oh roses of May
The sun cannot warm you
So you’ve gone away
But flowers of winter
Now spring from the ground
The more cold and rain
The more they abound
Slimy and ugly
Woodsy and clunky
Fancy and delicate
When it’s no longer sunny
The flowers of winter
Have sprung from the ground
Like a great cast of players
Who lay hid all around
The great play of winter
Bursting forth from the ground
Under logs, under leaves
They don’t need to be found
Flowers of winter
Springing up in the cold
You grow from the remnants
Of spring flowers grown old
You make life of death
Eating death to renew
On old life you dine
On dead flesh you chew
One day I will die
And my bones will be buried
My body and spirit
Will no longer be married
With flowers of winter
Encircling my frame
I will sink underground
To be earth once again
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The book
Using original metaphor and lyrical language, PJ Starling examines the deepest sorrows and the greatest triumphs of the human experience — the struggle to forgive oneself for past wrongs, the search for hope amidst the chaos of the modern world, and the desire for true intimacy.
Nine poems. 42 pages. These heartfelt verses invite readers into a space where they are seen and free to feel without judgment.
Buying direct from FriesenPress supports a Canadian author most. ISBN 978-1-03-837224-6 (paperback) · 978-1-03-837225-3 (hardcover) · 978-1-03-837226-0 (eBook)
About PJ Starling
PJ Starling lives in Vancouver, BC, with his nine-year-old son. I came to be free is his second book of poetry. His poem “Where light never goes” was featured by The Art of Autism, an organization that showcases the creative abilities of neurodivergent individuals.
For him, writing poetry is a form of therapy that has helped him through periods of change in his life. He hopes his poems will do the same for his readers.
Contact PJ Starling: readings@starlingpoetry.xyz
Author photograph by Marshal Chupa
Invite me to read
Libraries, bookstores, reading series, classes, book clubs. I'd like to come.
- Vancouver and the Lower Mainland — in person, gladly.
- Anywhere at all — online, by video. Book clubs and classes welcome.
- Elsewhere in BC or Canada — if travel is covered.
There's no fee to have me. An honorarium is welcome if you have one, and entirely optional if you don't.
I don't pay to appear. Any “invitation” that asks me for a placement, promotion, or booking fee is a scam — there's a lot of it about, impersonating real festivals. Genuine hosts never charge the poet.
This form is handled by Web3Forms and emailed to me. I don't use your details for anything else. If the form won't play, write to readings@starlingpoetry.xyz.