In Verses & Song

The Christmas Star ⭐ Hands outstretched to crisp, radiant sun, Her laughter, boisterous, her smile genuine, bright, A season's joy sprung pine-fresh with frost anew, just begun,  Giggling, playing, dreaming, she stretches in December's cool beams of light. Hope rises like foam in clouds of ice-blue,  She sings of angels, of gifts, of wonder and love, Her song ascending with leaps, bounding toward heaven, fast and true,  In jubilant celebration, blithesome awe, hushed anticipation of the star from above. With a brilliance unmatched it shines in Winter's cold,  Its warmth bringing bliss to souls ravaged and weary,  Rushing into their hearts, its golden waves painting a path so bold, Rejoicing together, resilient, through times dark and dreary. She closes her eyes and sways, enveloped in shimmering light, The Christmas Star proclaiming Peace through the still, silent night.  Copyright Stacie Eirich, December 05 2021  ✨ I hope you enjoyed this Christmas poem, which I originally

To start off November, I'm pleased to share some publication news! I have a poem included in Aurora & Blossoms latest anthology, an inspirational collection of stories, verses and visual art. It's available in digital format through multiple e-book retailers; more info at the link below:  Auroras & Blossoms PoArtMo Anthology: 2021 Edition *Bonus* Here's a link to my author interview with Auroras & Blossoms for the PoArtMo Anthology!  Author Interview for Auroras & Blossoms PoArtMo Anthology, Stacie Eirich ✍ My NaNoWriMo 2021 writing project is to revise, edit and compile a new poetry collection comprised of poems I wrote in 2020-2021, which I hope to submit to publishers in 2022. Visit the link below to learn about NaNoWriMo; it's not too late to join the community and begin writing!  NaNoWriMo 🎼Musically, I'm in the midst of rehearsing Morten Lauridsen's O Magnum Mysterium with The Stay at Home Choir, and in another short week will begin sess

Oh how joyful the autumn of childhood days, running, jumping, laughing in piles of burnished bronze, ruby, gold! Sunlit rainbows of fall color dancing in chilly breezes, inviting us to play in sunlight spilling, rain pouring, swirling delight under silvery moon shining. Oh how careless we frolicked, mindless of hours, leaping, bounding, skipping, heedless of cold and damp! Crashing through castles of foliage, keen with magic wonder bursting sharp, full, bright vivid and shining as our kaleidoscopic eyes. Oh how quick and merciless the passage of time, ticking, chugging, rushing - a roaring steam train! Autumn turning to winter in a flurry of fallen snow, each delicate flake glistens a memory faded, youth's distant shadow of simplicity, astonishing love.  Copyright Stacie Eirich October 4, 2021 💗🍁🍂 ✍Writing-in-progress: I'm continuing to focus on writing poetry and short prose, with thoughts percolating that I might compile them into a new collection. Although I've publis

Before, in the silence of day, I notice the stillness of the sun, the lingering heat, the stagnant calm that stifles, stretching minutes into hours. So— we cook, we clean, we prepare, we keep our bodies working and our minds filled, play music both loud and soft, bustle with purpose, then stop for air— and we wait. Night falls. We hold our breath against the lash of the wind, now an angry dance against the windowpanes. A cacophony of rain, hard and fast, pelts down in thick, unruly sheets, relentless. We sit with our thoughts together, the flame of a single candle between us. I knead my fingers and press them to my forehead, feeling every tired bone, every tensed muscle. We think: Did we make the right choice? Then: It’s too late now.  We blow out the candle; darkness falls heavy around us. Fix makeshift beds for the kids beside our own, place an army of pillows and blankets and my son’s favorite giant stuffed bear on the mattress. We settle in, closing our eyes and shielding our ears

As summer wanes and autumn begins, here is a poem titled: Summer’s Serenity .  Waking to dawn’s serenity ,   i breathe in the sea's calm ,   luxuriate in the sun's glow, the sea's flow, a shimmering blue-green warmth,  gliding away from thought,  drifting in constant comfort,  suspended in summer's sanctuary,  a shelter of soothing song,  a haven of beauteous bliss,  summer's private paradise,  my wild refuge of beauty,  my oasis out of time. Copyright Stacie Eirich, August 7 2021 As kids go back to school and we transition into new activities, work and life routines, I will go on writing and singing my way through the next season. During the fall, I love reading new books, enjoying the cooling down of the weather, and experiencing holiday events with family and friends.  Though I'm not sure what the fall of 2021 will bring, I'm hopeful that there will be time to read, write, sing, create and celebrate together. Here are some of my upcoming writing and music

Juneteenth by Stacie Eirich  Jubilant we sing, our music connecting Us in a cry of freedom, our voices raised against injustices of the past, our memories Narrating histories of prejudice and pain, hurt and loss Evoking grief in hearts broken by hate, woven with blood and bone — Twined together, our bodies have wept in sorrow, suffocating Entangled in so much grief — but now, a brilliant spark of Light! Elated in expectation, exuberant with relief, we reach out for New mornings, fresh days of bounteous breaths where Together we break free from chains that so long fettered us Healing from a past that has made us but will not define our future —  our hearts resilient in Hope —  our communities, strong in Love! copyright Stacie Eirich July 6, 2021 *This acrostic poem was written in celebration of the now federally recognized Freedom holiday in the USA, Juneteenth, on June 19th 2021. A celebration of freedom from slavery and African American culture, it's a day of jubilation in diversi

Mid-morning finds me on the porch of a tiny house, sipping a cup of coffee, listening to the sounds of birds chirping in the surrounding trees. The air is slightly cool, the play of light and shadows rippling with a small, merciful breeze. It's quiet here, the constant coos, twitters and cackles of winged creatures and the skittering of small animals and insects the only noise. Underneath them, the rustle of the breeze, the occasional rumble of an engine passing by on the road beyond, the whirr of the air conditioner in the adjoining shed. The cottage in front of the house sits silent; a white bunny with gray ears hops round in a patch of sunlight, a red-headed woodpecker lands on a hanging bird feeder - then flits from tree to tree - throat-calls low and full. The bells of a nearby church ring the gongs of the hour: 10 times the chimes resound. A sense of echoing peace and calm resides here, along with the birds and flowers, the squirrels and copses of trees, nature in multitude.

In January and February of this year I had the privilege of working with composer Christopher Tin on his epic piece of music, Sogno di Volare (translation "Dream of Flight"), with over a thousand singers worldwide in The Stay at Home Choir. On Friday April 30th, our recorded performance of Sogno di Volare  premiered in audio form on BBC Three and La Scalia Radio stations and our video performance premiered this past Sunday, May 2nd. I'm enormously proud of being a part of this epic production that is glorious in both sound and visuals!  In other music news, I have just finished recording a new video project with The Stay at Home Choir and Gareth Malone, and will be working on an audio album with the choir over the summer which will feature classical works. I'll also soon be recording a hymn with The Self Isolation Choir, and a song with the Forget-Me-Not Chorus. Last, I'm looking forward to the upcoming digital  Resilience concert for The Washington Chorus on Ju

April has arrived this year with sunshine & the delights of Easter holidays! It's also the start of National Poetry Month, a lovely celebration of poets, poetry and writing poems throughout April. I am happy to be participating by writing 30 poems in 30 days! Find out more about NaPoWriMo and find daily poetry prompts @  https://www.napowrimo.net/ For writerly motivation and support, I've also joined in CampNaNoWrimo for the month of April. Wish me luck! 🤞😉 And there's no shortage of inspiring songs to sing this April, as I'm currently completing musical projects with three different choirs, and am eagerly awaiting the release of spring and summer songs and concerts! First up will be Allegri's Miserere & Acapella Wonders concerts with the Self Isolation Choir, which you can listen to from April 9th & 17th onwards at these links:  Coming in May will be the release of the Stay at Home Choir's Sogno di Volare , and June will bring The Washington Chor

The first week of March has been one of inspiration, community and learning! Along with hundreds of other women, I'm grateful to have been a part of a conference designed to help support women in publishing. From sunup to sundown, each day was jam-packed with informative presentations, interviews with industry leaders, and chances to connect with writers, editors, agents, and publishers.    With so much knowledge from women who have been in this business for years, I'm still processing all the useful tips, advice and strategies offered. As a writer, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by all the steps that must be taken in order for your manuscript to go from its early, rough draft stages to a completed, published book with an audience of real readers.  The supportive and informed connections I made during the Women in Publishing in summit are perhaps my biggest and most important take-away from a week of constant Zooming, including Coffee & Chats, Q&As, and Live Office H

Heart's Echo The pianists’ fingers brush the keys, light and flexible as silken spring,  effervescent as the clear dew of morn, blithe as the flight of a sparrow.  Artfully she weaves each phrase, sweeping the ivories with effortless ease,  enchanting melodies floating on the gentle breeze of a sonata,  the graceful waltz of a serenade, the delicate allure of a nocturne.  Her musicality flawless,  Her desire fluent. Exquisitely she holds within, a rapture that threatens to shatter,  an ecstasy that consumes in exquisite passion, emptying unto its end -  and she,  -  left bereft of song or measure or utterance, Her rose petals scattered across the pianoforte, Her heart an echoing requiem in stillness.  Copyright @Stacie Eirich February 4, 2021 *** Thank you for visiting my blog, and I wish you a day filled with creativity and wonder. May you be safe & well. -Stacie 

  The new year is already bright with sunshine outside my window this morning, and I'm ready to meet 2021 with hope in my heart for better times!   Here's something I'm excited to be working on in January --- Sogno di Volare with composer Christopher Tin & The Stay at Home Choir Our newest choral work is kicking the new year off by taking to the skies! This epic, inspirational piece celebrates human achievement and aspirations, and is the perfect way to start afresh in 2021. Click on the link below to find out more and sing with us!   https://new.stayathomechoir.com/projects/sogno May you & your family be safe & well as you celebrate the New Year holiday, and I look forward to sharing my creative projects with you in 2021! 😊 -Stacie