Category Archives: About me

Wonders

Some days I feel overwhelmed by the amount of human wreckage in the world. The causes are many—selfishness, addiction, division, assault, unrest, economic strain…the list can seem endless. I often wonder how much more people can weather. But we are still here, and the original goodness of things still shows through in places. “Wonders” isContinueContinue reading “Wonders”

Jays and Nuthatches

Officially, it’s been fall since September 22nd but with temps in the 70s and 80s, it hasn’t felt like it yet. Still, fall is hinting to summer that it’s time to go; leaves are already on the ground, and it was in the 40s when I got up yesterday. I’ve paid more attention to birdsContinueContinue reading “Jays and Nuthatches”

Lifespan

Sometime in July, we realized a cricket had taken up residence in our outside stairwell. Every night (and sometimes during the day) he chirped away; that chirp became part of the family (or at least a weird neighbor), and my wife named him Jiminy (a nod to Disney’s Pinocchio, naturally). Given that Jiminy is theContinueContinue reading “Lifespan”

Shock

One day, I had a serious thought. But for some reason, I processed this serious thought using playful variations of familiar phrases. Somehow, out of that mess, today’s poem was born. I’ve written poetry and music for about 35 years. But at the end of the day, the creative process is a mystery to me.ContinueContinue reading “Shock”

Cat with a Mona Lisa Smile

Usually, I post Sunday morning but at 9:00 tonight I realized I forgot! Monday morning will have to do, I suppose. I was going to blame being tired because my cats woke me up at 5:30 this morning. Then I remembered I usually write my posts on Saturday and schedule them to post on Sunday.ContinueContinue reading “Cat with a Mona Lisa Smile”

Doing Nothing

I can be…driven, goal-oriented. I am usually working on something and have very little idle time. But today, I feel a little lazy. Granted, it’s the weekend, and by 2:15 Saturday afternoon (when I am writing this), I’ve already worked on a poem, attended two ministry-related meetings, and mowed both my lawns. So maybe I’mContinueContinue reading “Doing Nothing”

S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W

This past Friday, my daughter and I went to a concert: My Chemical Romance kicked off their reunion tour in Seattle. The Violent Femmes opened. MCR’s performance was pretty epic, full of theater, energy, flashing lights, and pyrotechnics. They played for about two and a half hours and never slowed down. Lyrics are a closeContinueContinue reading “S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W”

Stare

In the late 19th century, the Symbolist poets began a movement against naturalism and realism in writing. The Symbolists preferred the power of imagination, dreams, visions, and the like. I’ve never subscribed to any school of poetry. As a writer, my interests are too diverse. I like traditional and experimental forms; I’m a fan ofContinueContinue reading “Stare”

The Wound

“The Wound” is a poetic retrospective of coming to know God from my third book, Shadow and Memory. It will also be in an upcoming book, Voiceless Choirs: Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs. Voiceless Choirs is a collection of new and previously published poems that center on Christian spirituality. Right now, I am working withContinueContinue reading “The Wound”