mrteague

2 AM

I’d say most of my poems are finished within a week or two of starting them. I usually have several I’m working on at a time. Creativity is like a shark: it’s best if it keeps moving. So if I’m stuck on one poem, I can work on another and keep moving! Then there areContinueContinue reading “2 AM”

The Panther (Ogden Nash)

I’ve mentioned before that I enjoy light verse because a dash of humor brings perspective. At some point in our marriage (probably the first decade), my wife introduced me to Ogden Nash, and he has remained a favorite author of light verse. Light verse has found its way into all of my books, most recentlyContinueContinue reading “The Panther (Ogden Nash)”

Overthinking Nursery Rhymes

My son Evan is a thinker (I don’t know where he gets it from. Probably from his mother 😆). Last night, he read me the nursery rhyme, “The House That Jack Built.” Afterward, he said, “Well, what did you think?” I said, “I have questions: How could the dog worry the cat after being tossedContinueContinue reading “Overthinking Nursery Rhymes”

Honesty Is a Dog

Last week, I announced the release of my cat chapbook, Cat Show, which is available on Amazon. To continue celebrating its release, I’m sharing…a dog poem 😆 “Honesty Is a Dog” is a new poem and will come out in my fourth book, The Anonymity of Waiting, which I plan to self-publish in 2024. HonestyContinueContinue reading “Honesty Is a Dog”

Cat Show Now Available!

As I type this, my cat Nilli is circling and fussing at me. Does she sense that my chapbook about cats, Cat Show, is now available on Amazon? Heck no. She’s reminding me that no one has set out her lunch, and she’s starving, possibly (probably) near death. OK, I’ve fed her. Now I canContinueContinue reading “Cat Show Now Available!”

Babies Are for Locking Up

Back in September, I was poised to release a chapbook of cat poems. However, I had to delay the release because I inadvertently submitted one of the cat poems to a journal. Well, the journal declined to publish any of my poems, so I’ll be releasing the cat chapbook soon. I just need to doContinueContinue reading “Babies Are for Locking Up”

The End of the World

In every generation, circumstances arise that seem to be harbingers of the end. One day, a generation will come that is right about this. But so far, harbingers of the end are followed by a new generation and a bunch more orbits around the sun. Poets are often channels of feeling. As such, apocalyptic pathosContinueContinue reading “The End of the World”

Nothing to Sneeze At

I’m about half-way to finishing my fourth book, The Anonymity of Waiting, which I plan to self-publish in 2024. Below is a poem about something that goes through my mind from time to time when people sneeze. (Yes, there is philosophy even in a sneeze 😆). Because of its timelessness, wisdom is often mistaken asContinueContinue reading “Nothing to Sneeze At”

At the Old Mission

My in-laws used to live in North Dakota. On our way to visit a couple times, we stopped at Old Mission State Park in Cataldo, Idaho. The mission (which was founded by Jesuits in the early 1850s) sits atop a beautiful, grassy hill. As a Christian, it is a testament to the sacrifices God’s peopleContinueContinue reading “At the Old Mission”

Bang Head Here

It’s official: This week, I beat my personal record for rewrites. I’ve been working on poems based on the Psalms, and got a nice draft of Psalm 137 going. Twenty versions of the poem later, I’m almost done. Most of those 20 versions were spent trying to get the first stanza to my liking. IContinueContinue reading “Bang Head Here”