Forces: Poems

WORDS OF STRENGTH AND INSPIRATION FOR MILITARY FAMILIES-AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM!

Inspired by great works of visual art, writing, and sculpture-as well as small moments observed alongside her home-schooled daughter and beloved dog Seamus-poet and U.S. Marine Corps spouse Lisa Stice explores the invisible forces and frictions at work in our lives.

"Stice is a master of quiet revelation and connection," says the publisher. "Her words illuminate how to find beauty, wonder, calm, and strength in a world that too often feels filled with ugliness and chaos."

For example, in "Woman Holding a Balance," Stice considers the image of Johannes Vermeer's 1664 painting of the same name, revealing the grounded strength to be found within:

behind her:

a healing grace

the salvation of forgiveness

promise and sacrifice

before her:

value weighed

an equal measure

dignity and decorum

within her:

blood of generations

nurturing warmth

a round-cheeked future