elias project   -   the wayfarer "the soul .. needs an articulated worldview, a carefully worked out scheme of values, and a sense of relatedness to the whole. it needs a myth of immortality and an attitude toward death."   ... thomas moore, care of the soul." i have here adopted the pen-name "elias".  it is a special way to share my poetry and to honour my grandparents john and sophie elias.  elias is greek for elijah.  the elijah qualities i admire are being observant, critical, innovative and positive.  john always saw the sunshine in people.  sophia means wisdom: the wind, the breath, the spirit of god.  i learned to see that sunshine and listen to that wind.  i am like the albatross, flying huge circles over life's sea, encountering and being encountered. - a wayfarer. these poems have come into being because of the people i've encountered on my journey. their achievements and challenges,  their virtues and foibles, their faith and courage, their hope and promise, seem always to set my muse to marvelling.  friends, family, associates and total strangers have made these encounters a journey both interesting and curious. from time to time, i hear a sort of singing that wants to be a poem.  sometimes i go hunting for such a song.  somethimes the song meanders about the edge of awareness and takes months to come close enough to capture.  sometimes the song arrives unexpectedly demanding attention.  always, a surprise.  words and feelings bubble up in a spring of focussed intention.  all I do is sort out the ones that belong in the song. my style is informal, irregular and free form. i favour the 14 lines of the sonnet, and the 5-7-5 syllable rhythms of the haiku. the words seem to find their own relationships. please check in from time to time. jock franz mctavish of calgary, canada you are welcome to copy and use these words, but please with credit.  you are also welcome to the images under fair use. credits are given where known. most are my own. 1journey 1candle email  42