mrteague

As Summer Ages

Someone once said art is really about the observer, and that artists watch more than participate in life. (I believe Oscar Wilde said this but I’ve never been able to find the quote again!) Whoever said it, there’s some truth to it. To write, paint, make music, etc. requires that you step back to noticeContinueContinue reading “As Summer Ages”

Robin

I like poems whose impact is immediate and deep; poems that encapsulate strong feelings and ideas in a moment of imagery or action. I suppose that’s why I gravitate toward short poems. Many times, the things I decide to write about happen in a flash, a moment where the mundane becomes metaphor. It’s made meContinueContinue reading “Robin”

These Are the Clouds

I’ve been reading through a book of poems by Yeats. So far, his work is marked by eclectic and contrasting elements. Many of his poems draw imagery from Irish mythology; the natural and supernatural worlds blur into something that is both yet not quite either. Other poems strike decidedly modern notes. This isn’t surprising sinceContinueContinue reading “These Are the Clouds”

Nine

Cats are a part of my life—sometimes whether I like it or not, LOL. So I write about them. But a cat isn’t something that can be corralled into a poem, as if I could capture them with words. More probably, cats indifferently wander into my poems because they have nothing better to do, orContinueContinue reading “Nine”

Longing

At one time or another, most of us will feel longing in some way: a road not taken, a friend who moved, disappointment with work, wanting to have children…the list goes on. Sometimes, we can’t put our finger on what we’re longing for; everything is just permeated by a vacuum. I’ve come to think ofContinueContinue reading “Longing”

The Lost Wind

I don’t always grasp the full meaning of things I’ve written. That might sound odd. But sometimes, I’ll finish a poem, and it feels right but I don’t understand why. I might only realize later why a verse had to end a certain way or why an odd word choice is nevertheless exactly what’s calledContinueContinue reading “The Lost Wind”

Event Horizon—Now Available!

My second book of poetry, Event Horizon, is now available on Amazon.com! I hope readers will pick up a copy. You can find it by clicking here. Event Horizon is available in paperback and Kindle formats. I’ve mentioned before that in the year 2020 I was praying and felt moved to be more intentional aboutContinueContinue reading “Event Horizon—Now Available!”

Event Horizon—Coming Soon!

I’m happy to announce that my second book of poems, Event Horizon, will be available on Amazon in the next week or so. I hope that readers will check it out and pick up a copy. Event Horizon will be available in paperback and Kindle versions. In anticipation of the book’s release, I thought I’dContinueContinue reading “Event Horizon—Coming Soon!”

Coloring Outside the Lines

Luc Bat is a Vietnamese form of poetry I blogged about earlier this year. The name means, “six, eight” and refers to the alternating lines of six and eight syllables. There’s also a fun rhyme scheme, which I diagram in my other post. “Coloring Outside the Lines” was my first attempt at a Luc BatContinueContinue reading “Coloring Outside the Lines”

Cobwebs

“Imagination is funny It makes a cloudy day sunny It makes a bee think of honey Just as I think of you.” So goes the song popularized by Frank Sinatra. But imagination works the other way too. Pathological imagination often presents as fear and anxiety. This is what inspired “Cobwebs,” which appeared in my firstContinueContinue reading “Cobwebs”