“The Master Plan by Stewart Stafford Do you choose to lose yourself In grief’s planetoid hinterlands, Discarding every gift given By loved ones in preparation? Wade through marsh and swamp, The world turns for mogul and meagre. Burdened down by survivor's guilt, Unspoken words, unfinished deeds, A wandering, teetering flagellant, Haunted by what should have been. You were and are loved, not begrudged, Olympic torch bravery delighting others. Familiar hands on marathon's shore, Offer self-medicating cocktails, To numb the Captain to his storm, Resist to avoid addiction's reefs, Resolve to endure whatever comes. We are driftwood, seedpods, Blind to windswept grand design. And the most important decision, Who to pass trust's baton to? We must not believe our eyes, As all we see is weaponised. Human instinct, A mighty shield unseen, Guiding us through, Where we dare not lean. The path of fearlessness, A paradox in itself; A source of fear, Inside a shipyard of hope. In dreamlike audacity, grasp destiny with barriers lifted, clothed in courage’s cloak. Grieve, Emerge transformed, Octopus ink to glowing algae, Knowing others will come, To complete our healing. Our plotted course continues, Until privy to the master plan, At last, upon the inverse shore, As loved ones congratulate. © 2024, Stewart Stafford. All rights reserved.” Life LessonsGriefHealingCourageResilienceGrief And LossDeath Of A Loved OneSurvivor S GuiltGrief PoemGrief Poems Author:Stewart Stafford
“Lifecast by Stewart Stafford Lifecast Be your play's lead actor, Beware of its shooting star, In drama's immortal mania, Your reputation carries far. Fish your dawn-gold phrases, From out the impostor's throat, Your tongue streaming candor, Not stumbling forth by rote. Let no Salieri hand, Override your author's claim, Even if remuneration's elusive, You may still relish the acclaim. © Stewart Stafford, 2024. All rights reserved.” Life LessonsCreativityFamePersonal GrowthSelf DiscoveryArtistic ExpressionContemporary PoetryPhilosophical PoetryInspirational PoemLife S A Stage Quotes Author:Stewart Stafford
“It's pointless being the richest person in the cemetery.” WisdomLife LessonsValuesWealthReflectionPrioritiesLegacyMeaning Of LifeMaterialismMortality Author:Stewart Stafford
“A famous book title once claimed women were from Venus. I don’t know where they’re from, I’m just glad they’re here or I wouldn’t be. While female kindness has saved me more than once, I’ve got to say that no one has helped or hurt me more than women.” Life LessonsWomenRelationshipsKindnessGratitudeFemaleVulnerabilityDualityGetting HurtWomen Are From Venus Author:Stewart Stafford
“Confront not the sandstorm, be the sidewinder inching towards home.” Inspirational QuotesLife Lessons Author:Stewart Stafford
“Whether we live for seconds or a hundred years, none of us goes before our time. We're all here to do something, and once we've done it, we go back from whence we came.” Life LessonsDestinyFateGod S PlanEverything Happens For A ReasonFate QuotesFate QuotationsLifespanFatedPlanned Author:Stewart Stafford
“A life well-lived is not measured by material possessions or the size of the funeral turnout. The quantity and depth of laugh lines on the face of the person lying in repose in their coffin reveals a life's true worth.” Life LessonsFunLife QuotesLife PhilosophyLife And LivingMaterialismDeath QuotesFuneral QuotesLaugh Lines Author:Stewart Stafford
“A live well-lived is not judged on a post-mortem stocktake of material acquisitions. It is based on the number and depth of the laugh lines on the face of the person lying in repose in their coffin.” Life LessonsFunLife QuotesLife PhilosophyLife And LivingLife Lessons QuotesMaterialismDeath QuotesFuneral QuotesLaugh Lines Author:Stewart Stafford
“Speed of execution often trumps perfection of plan.” PhilosophyWisdomInspirationActionLife LessonsLeadershipStrategyExecutionTacticsStewart Stafford Author:Stewart Stafford
“The Liquid Pantomime by Stewart Stafford Time is life’s shareholder: Youth’s dark angel investor, Midlife’s white shark creditor, The old's Arctic blood liquidator. Debt, the fledgling's terra incognita, Misfortune's looking glass kvetch, Chicks for the boardroom wolf pit, Waddling forth in immature escrow. Margin call missives arrive at thirty, Backstick pressures piping up, Distressingly hostile AGM invites, Disbelief morphs into resignation. Cracking knees bear bankruptcy, Written off in a balance sheet's glance, No hibernation in a bear market, Phased out for new stock issues daily. © 2026, Stewart Stafford. All rights reserved.” Life LessonsTimeExistentialismHuman ConditionAgeingBankruptcyStock MarketMemento MoriCorporate WorldShareholder Author:Stewart Stafford
“There is no 'Happily ever after' because life is never static; it's in constant flux—a series of summits and silos—for one cannot appreciate light without enshrouding darkness.” InspirationalWisdomLife LessonsChangeAcceptanceMetaphorPhilosophy Of LifeDualityHappily Ever AfterFairytale Ending Author:Stewart Stafford
“Silence is occasionally a proactive choice, and not merely the inert absence of noise. It can be an act of courage, power unwielded out of sensitivity or respect, or a circle of concentration to reflect and reminisce. A well-timed silence can command a room, spare others needless pain, or be a pregnant pause to preserve a special moment.” PhilosophyWisdomInspirationLife LessonsQuotesSilenceCourageCommunicationMindfulnessEmpathy Author:Stewart Stafford
“Life Cycles by Stewart Stafford From fair youth’s day, To dark-spotted age, The blooms of May, Usher out winter’s sullen maze. When the bars of the juvenile cage are splayed, And our stars have run their course, The debt of carefree times gets repaid, As we from this earthly plain divorce. We crawl to walk and stoop alone, As the dead remain uncured, Until Time grants us further loans, Immortality is a bloodline secured. © Stewart Stafford, 2021. All rights reserved.” AgeLife LessonsPoetryPoetPoemPoemsAgeingCircle Of LifeLife HacksLife Cycles Author:Stewart Stafford
“Necessary Equals by Stewart Stafford The grandest hearth cannot warm, Once grave chills touch the aged, The beggar donates his last coin, At a counting house of the well-waged. The giant is meek and misunderstood, As the slighted short one grows fiery, Life's spun gold pawned for pennies, The stricken strive to buy back entirely. In old age, winter shadows lengthen, As babes on tiptoes crave growth, So-called leaders spit out patron's lies, As a street madman roars his frank oath. Opposing siblings they are, but needed, Fellow travellers orbit on a path seeded. © Stewart Stafford, 2023. All rights reserved.” LifePhilosophyLife LessonsSocietyInequalitySatireMetaphysicsRhymeContrastsParadoxes Author:Stewart Stafford
“There are some people in life who say things you inwardly agree with in ways you outwardly don't.” PhilosophyWisdomHumorLife LessonsCommunicationPerspectiveSelf AwarenessSocial CommentaryAgree To DisagreeStewart Stafford Author:Stewart Stafford
“Life occurs somewhere between our aspirations and our just desserts.” LifePhilosophyLife LessonsDeserveLife Quotes And SayingsKarmaCompromiseMeaning Of LifeAspirationsJust Desserts Author:Stewart Stafford
“See Me In One by Stewart Stafford Crave not aged flight, Your titian crown ringed, With cherubim cheeks, In child's play, winged. I shed this life's skin, My texts echoing guide, Find flesh through them, Righteous wordage sighed. In forest dark, I found you, All before, a stillborn nought, Of everything in ardour rendered, Your form, pride's ransom bought. © Stewart Stafford, 2024. All rights reserved.” PhilosophyLife LessonsFathers DayFather And SonFathers And SonsLife HacksParental GuidanceLegacy Life LessonsLife HackDads Wisdom Author:Stewart Stafford
“Moments of extreme joy or sorrow always feel surreal and incredible, which tells us that life is mostly a voyage of mundanity between distant, analogous shores of disbelief.” LifeLife LessonsDisbeliefSurrealismJoy And PainJoy And SorrowMundane RealityMundanityDistant ShoresVoyage Of Life Author:Stewart Stafford
“Experience is curiosity on bended knee.” Life LessonsExperienceCuriosityCuriousExperience QuotesCuriosity WisdomStay CuriousCurious InnovateGaining ExperienceOn Bended Knee Author:Stewart Stafford
“If you don't make a choice, life makes it for you and then you're stuck with what it decides. Take control of your destiny so that doesn't happen” Life LessonsDecision MakingDestiny QuotesChoices And ConsequencesChoice QuotesDecision QuotesDestiny Decides Better Author:Stewart Stafford