Working Out

There’s always a point in the work out videos I use when the leader asks, “Aren’t you glad you worked out today?” or “Doesn’t this feel good?” Mentally, I answer “NO” every time. I’ve never been one of those people who enjoys exercise. It’s more of a necessary evil. I suspect I’m not alone inContinueContinue reading “Working Out”

Blank

Since I was traveling this past week, I am posting a day later than usual! When I returned home yesterday, the first paperback copies of my third book, Shadow and Memory were waiting. This got me thinking about today’s post. Most of the poems in Shadow and Memory were written in 2022, one of theContinueContinue reading “Blank”

Sparrows

My daughter Kate is a senior at Wilson Hill Academy, an online school she’s attended since ninth grade. Once a year, Wilson Hill students and families attend an in-person event called LINK where they have field day competitions, awards ceremonies, and graduation. This week, we’ll be traveling to Colorado to attend LINK and my daughter’sContinueContinue reading “Sparrows”

Undead

I’ve mentioned that odd thoughts stroll through my mind and into poems; or I get in a mood and write a quirky poem. Last weekend, as I was falling asleep, the first six or seven lines of the poem below jogged past. Then I couldn’t fall asleep (cue a sigh and throwing up my hands).ContinueContinue reading “Undead”

The Rhythm of Shadows

Today, I set up the Kindle version of my third book, Shadow and Memory. As I’ve mentioned, I’m hoping to self-publish it this month or next. A proof of the paperback will arrive this week so that I can make a last check for errors. I am in the home stretch! When putting together aContinueContinue reading “The Rhythm of Shadows”

A Clergyman Is as Useless as a Cat

At the end of 2022, a friend asked if I would like to read a book with him: Orthodoxy by GK Chesterton. I had read it about 20 years ago and loved it so I readily agreed. Orthodoxy chronicles Chesterton’s return to the Catholic Church after wandering the wastes of intellectual modernism. Chesterton is aContinueContinue reading “A Clergyman Is as Useless as a Cat”

Requiem

Mozart’s Requiem is a deeply profound piece of music written for orchestra, choir, and vocal soloists. I have loved it since high school. A requiem is a Catholic funeral mass with different sections that help worshipers meditate on realities of the Christian faith related to death. Themes include eternal rest, God’s wrath, final judgment, andContinueContinue reading “Requiem”

New Song

On Easter, Christians often greet each other with the exchange, “He is risen!” “He is risen, indeed!” This expresses our belief that Christ’s resurrection is a fact—a fact assuring us death is not the end of our story, individually or as a community. “New Song” is a poem in my third book, Shadow and Memory,ContinueContinue reading “New Song”

Artless

Today marks the beginning of Passion Week, the time when Christians remember the days leading up to the death of Jesus on the cross and His resurrection after three days. “Passion” comes from a Greek word conveying the idea that one’s senses are pushed to their max—and even past. “Passion” can express any extreme experience—pleasureContinueContinue reading “Artless”