Frank M. Tierney (1930- ) was born in Ottawa in the area now occupied by the University of Ottawa Campus. Borealis Press has published seven books of his poetry: "Come Climb A Mountain" (1970), "The Birch" (1971), "Beams of Love" (1972), "FireCloud" (1972), "The Way it Stands" (1974), "The Lilac Tree" (1988), and "The Old Gold Woman" (2000). He has also written seven children's stories in his Silly Sally series, numerous scholarly articles, and books about Canadian and British authors.

The Old Gold Woman is about the lives of women, their trials, sacrifices and powerful influences as with the grandmother the boy "followed behind, little, of no consequence, and she gave me light" (The Coal-Oil Lamp); the sensitivity of women and men to universal unity of humankind and nature, "The old man ... whispered to a rose", (The Old Man). "The Korean girl ... I would like to reach out and touch her hand, my sister", (The Stranger in Toronto) and "the old farmer, ... wrapping the sun around his fingers" (Noon). The poems also have views on the tragedy of war, of Auschwitz, the creative beauty and violent destructiveness of nature, the universality of love, "love has more than one address." (Postal Code). The Poems convey the struggle with life and death for nineteenth century immigrants to Canada from Ireland, and elsewhere, who escaped oppression and poverty to the traps of typhus and cholera, family separation, and death, on Grosse Isle, forty-five kilometres below Quebec City. The many themes and tones contain a pleasing sprinkle of irony and humour.

It´s Something
How many times have we
walked across that narrow wooden bridge
made for cows
and wagons weighed with hay
to cross our running creek;
a bridge for a boy to sit,
legs dangling,
watching minnows
darting in the sun;
a bridge
I´d never thought to ask
"Who´d built?"
thinking it was always there
like trees, and hills, and running streams.
But often now
I think about
the comfort of his bridge
and quietly thank him,
him long dead.
It´s something to build a bridge,
it´s something.
Copyright © by Borealis Press Ltd. and Frank M. Tierney, 1988 - 2001.

Sally flies to the sea, and in a remarkable adventure, saves the stranded Captain G. Rumpy, his ship, and his crew.

Sally's adventures on the moon and the gigantic birthday cake whose candles are the stars.

Sally finds that the golden pail for drawing moon water from the well has been stolen by the Mud Snouts and helps the Moon-People get it back.

Sally visits the mysterious world of the snowman.

Come
Come! it´s that time of day when shadows stretch out long on tan-brown end-of-day fields quiet in the after-day sun.
Come! we´ll stop to-gether and watch the spring-waiting night when everything is a pause.

Sally visits the sea-side and has a beautiful adventure with the porpoises.

DURING EIGHT A.M. SUNDAY MASS
Downtown
among a dozen skyscrapers
that black the sun
from a tiny park -
a park,
with three benches
and a steel speared fence
a little boy
plays catch
with a drunk.
Copyright © by Borealis Press Ltd. and Frank M. Tierney, 1970 - 2001.

Come Climb a Mountain

You must come climb a mountain with me
So that you can see,
The valley lawns,
The lacy streams,
The ships about the seas.

You must come climb a mountain with me -
The sun will be our host -
And you will see
The singing thrush,
The white-winged swan,
The man dumping garbage by the sea.

You must come climb a mountain with me,
And you will know the wind,
The skying pines will be our grass,
The cloud-puffed hills our trees,
We´ll watch as Herod´s soldiers work,
See Ceasar´s ships at oar,
Odysseus´ bow,
Prometheus´ chain,
Lucifer and Michael´s war.

You must come climb a mountain with me
So that you can see,
Above the cold and careless waves,
And the ceaseless rolling sea.
You´ll see the deafened cardboard judge
Wash in the Lady´s eyes,
And hear the numbing siren´s wail
Across the blackened skies,
And the woman´s failing music
In their lucid Paradise.

You must come climb a mountain with me
So that you can see,
Above the cold and careless waves,
And the ceaseless rolling sea.
Copyright © by Borealis Press Ltd. and Frank M. Tierney, 1970 - 2001.