Black Friday unofficially kicks off the Christmas season for many. We’re past Hallowe’en and Thanksgiving so can concern ourselves with decking halls…or other shoppers (as has happened now & then 😆). Black Friday is a shopping day of epic proportions. It carries the mythos of putting retailers “in the black” again. Such drama must beContinueContinue reading “Black Friday”
Category Archives: Modern poetry
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”
Psalm 126
Psalm 126 is a joyous song about the Lord restoring Israel after a time of suffering and judgment. It portrays a people so grateful they think they must be dreaming. The thought of being joyful to point of dreaming piqued my interest, so I wrote a poem based on this psalm for my latest book,ContinueContinue reading “Psalm 126”
Dyeing the Easter Eggs
Last month, I posted about a poetic form pantoum. As an example of the form, I linked to a poem by A.E. Stallings called, “Another Lullaby for Insomniacs”. I so enjoyed Stallings’s pantoum, I got her book Like, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. One thing I appreciate about Stallings’s work is theContinueContinue reading “Dyeing the Easter Eggs”
Song a Some’n Else
Walt Whitman is a celebrated American poet. His collection Leaves of Grass influenced generations of poets. While I can’t deny Whitman’s impact on American poetry, I’ve never been a fan. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, as the old saying goes. “Song of Myself” is an infamous poem from Leaves of Grass. The titleContinueContinue reading “Song a Some’n Else”
Rain
I grew up near Seattle. Given its proximity to Puget Sound and the Pacific Ocean, it rains non-stop in that area. Because of this, I regard rain as a dreary annoyance. (Did I mention I don’t like it? 😆). Since it’s rained a lot the last few days, I have rain on the brain. SoContinueContinue reading “Rain”
Psalm 41
In my new book, Voiceless Choirs: Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, I poetically interact with sacred texts, such as Psalms. There are 150 psalms, so I decided to write a poem based on one of every 10. From the fifth grouping, I chose Psalm 41. There is a spiritual battle in the subtext of theContinueContinue reading “Psalm 41”
What the Seven Thunders Said
Art by Nina Paley / apocalypseanimated.com Revelation, the final book of the Bible, is a series of visions recorded by John (either John the Apostle or John the Elder, scholars don’t agree…but do they ever?). Nearly every image in these visions comes from the Old Testament. That said, the images are combined in surprising waysContinueContinue reading “What the Seven Thunders Said”
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”
A Wandering Minstrel 