Going Out—Bukowski

I don’t know how I came across Charles Bukowski, but he was the first prose poet I read, and it was a revelation. Here was a guy that was just talking—no meter, no rhyme, no hifalutin language. Just talking and often telling wild stories about his depraved life in the city. I had never readContinueContinue reading “Going Out—Bukowski”

Listening to the Dark

Fairly often, odd thoughts stroll through my mind, and sometimes, those odd thoughts find their way into poems. “Listening to the Dark” is one such poem. When I get up in the middle of the night, I often find myself stopping in the dark and listening. Whoever coined the phrase, “pregnant silence” was so right.ContinueContinue reading “Listening to the Dark”

The State of Mercury Now Available!

Last week, I said my first chapbook would be out in a week or so. I’m happy to announce that The State of Mercury is now available on Amazon! This chapbook has a nice sampling of poems from both my books and explores the many moods or states of mind people move through. In addition,ContinueContinue reading “The State of Mercury Now Available!”

Christmas Tree

Tonight, we decorated our Christmas tree as a family. Carols played from another room as we talked, laughed, and enjoyed adorning branches. But Christmas trees remind me of another tree, and the deeper meaning of Christmas: “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that, having died to sins, we mightContinueContinue reading “Christmas Tree”

Hourglass

Winter is officially here and, where I live, we have snow. In my house, it’s not uncommon to hear people break out in their own rendition of “Snow” from White Christmas. Anti-snow factions hate us 😆 A number of my poems are meditations on falling snow, something I never tire of watching. Last winter, weContinueContinue reading “Hourglass”

Costumes

Tomorrow is Hallowe’en, and at my house pumpkins are carved and costumes are (mostly) ready. Like runners on blocks, we are taut and ready to burst into a candy-eating sprint. Below is a poem I wrote last Hallowe’en entitled “Costumes.” It appeared in my second book, Event Horizon. For fun, I’ve also posted a coupleContinueContinue reading “Costumes”

The In-Beyond-Within

Spiritual things are among the most difficult for me to write about. There is not really a point of reference for spiritual realities in the world we know by sense experience. At best, sense experiences can provide analogies or imagery for spiritual things. Jesus Himself acknowledged this when He said, “If I have told youContinueContinue reading “The In-Beyond-Within”

The Somnambulator

In the early 2000s, I became acquainted with the word “somnambulate,” which means to sleep walk. For some reason, the word amused me; I found myself thinking about it and about misadventures a somnambulator might have. (Incidentally, “somnambulator” isn’t a word…yet. Using poetic license, I’m starting a campaign to change that, 😉). Some of thoseContinueContinue reading “The Somnambulator”

Summer’s End

It’s that time of year when it’s cool in the morning and warm during the day. I’d dress in layers but I run cold so I end up keeping my layers on 😉 The impending change of seasons reminded me of a poem in my second book, Event Horizon, called “Summer’s End.” It seemed aproposContinueContinue reading “Summer’s End”

Mr. Andolini

This past week was the first week of school for my kids, so I thought I’d post a poem I wrote about a high school memory: “Mr. Andolini.” I often wonder why certain things stick with us. I wrote “Mr. Andolini” about 15 years after the events occurred. All those years later, the memory stillContinueContinue reading “Mr. Andolini”