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
I came to be free
I came to release
To give in to peace
To let be what will be
To be truly, fully me
I came to be free
Freedom, they said
Is earned, has a fee
Is not up to you
Is not up to me
Freedom, they said
May not come till you’re dead
May not be in the cards
So you’d best get ahead
So I came to be free
And deny them their fee
I say no to their race
I say no to their face
Then you said to forgive
All the ones who betrayed me
And let go of the ropes
I was whipped by when they shamed me
You said to forgive
Is how one learns to live
In a world full of pain
Full of heartache and shame
To forgive is divine
As the old saying said
And divine is within
Round your heart, not your head
You learn to forgive
By forgiving yourself
For losing your faith
In a world full of doubt
You must learn to forgive
Every moment you strayed
From the safety of home
When you’d lost your way
All the love you prevented
From enriching your life
You became so accustomed
To the grind, to the strife
Forgive yourself
For being the fish
Who forgot about water
Then for water you wished
Forgive yourself
For playing the game
You forgot you were playing
And the game, you became
So dear, do you see
Freedom does have a fee
Forgiving yourself
For forgetting you’re free
You simply forgot
And that’s really all
So now just remember
And your problem is solved
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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.
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