poetry – Tales of Glory

October 21, 2020

Publication Updates

It’s an exciting time when all this quiet, lonely writing finally gets some traction and sees the light of day! On November 30 I will have 4 poems appearing on the “Academy of the Heart and Mind.” I will post a link when it goes live!

Also, my book is here! Breath for the Breathless has finally been published after I wrote it 2 years ago. Here’s what I posted about it on Facebook:

Clergy friends, I wrote this for you. I wrote this book of liturgy 2 years ago when my life was beginning to unravel. Writing this book was a lifeline for me. I hope it is a lifeline for you too! “Breath for the Breathless: Liturgy for Life’s Difficult Seasons” is the book you want on your shelf when a natural disaster happens, when violence strikes, when you need a prayer regarding mental health struggles or child loss. There are prayers and entire worship services written in here (with hymn suggestions) so that when disaster strikes, you can focus more on pastoral care and less on worship planning. If you’re struggling to find the words to say, my hope is that this book helps.

I am so excited to have gotten several publishing opportunities over the past couple years! Here’s to many more.

July 18, 2020

Sunlight (A poem)

This is my final poetry installment for this series. I will definitely have more to come in the future! Also, a third poem entitled “Chiseled” has been published in In Parentheses Magazine, which can bought here https://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/1812064

SUNLIGHT

Sunburst stretches over the mountain tops

To enliven the sleepy land.

Sunflowers pop open to greet the clouds

And to tower over the field.

Sunbathers nourish the body

With vitamins and fresh air.

Sunbaked earth cracks open

To receive the rain that is promised to arrive.

Sunset cools over to give permission

That all may rest.

July 11, 2020

Footprints (A poem)

My poem entitled, “Frame” appears in this anthology by Bards Against Hunger. Proceeds got to local food banks! This week I have another horror poem for you to enjoy. https://www.bardsagainsthunger.com/bards-against-hunger-nc-preorders1.html?fbclid=IwAR16MDOHNzaaMefihJEojbeYcMplVblW8-6pmJcnOMTF2lmEYP-6Ma0Q7Y8

Photo by Guduru Ajay bhargav on Pexels.com

FOOTPRINTS

Early this morning after a troubled sleep,

Through my blurry eyes

I thought I saw footprints coming down my driveway

And stopping at the porch.

I rubbed away the gunk,

Clearing up my vision,

And the footprints were gone.

Even earlier this morning

I got out of bed

Giving up on trying to get anymore sleep,

And I opened the door

To the sunrise revealing footprints

Leading up my porch

And stopping at the front door.

When I stepped out to examine them

They faded away.

Early this morning,

While it was still dark

And the birds were yet to awaken and sing,

I thought I heard footsteps

Just outside of my room.

I sat bolt upright,

Slid silently out of bed,

And got down on all fours to peek

Under the crack of my door.

Footprints.

I yanked open the door,

And they had vanished.

Early this morning

In the wee hours,

After no sleep at all,

I heard slow creaking footsteps inside my room.

I slowly turned my head across my pillow

To see the moonlight illuminate

The footprints that stopped

Directly beside my head.

These footprints were not disappearing.

July 4, 2020

Navigating (A Poem)

NAVIGATING

Are you trying to find your way?

Me too.

Here’s what I’ve learned.

Listen for the secrets

Whispered through the trees,

For they lead to paths of life;

But do not listen to the secrets of spiders

Because they are full of venom

And deception.

Crows squawk exaggerated tales,

But don’t dismiss them,

Because nuggets of truth are buried inside.

You might find a clue

Under the moss-slick rocks.

Overturn a few,

But there are no guarantees

So don’t waste too much time with them.

Finally, the frogs will sing for you

Just when you are about to give up.

Follow their tune home.

I’ll see you there.

June 27, 2020

Hanging Painting (A poem)

I write a wide variety of poetry. I have written love poetry and haikus, but those are rare. Often I work out my painful experiences through poetry, or confusing and frustrating thoughts. Nature is a big inspiration for me. But then there are my favorites: I love fantasy, and I love horror. This poem is a horror-inspired piece.

HANGING PAINTING

Don’t look now,

But that painting is staring right at you.

I know what you’re thinking,

Isn’t that what paintings do,

Stare?

In one fixed direction, yes.

But that menacing glare has tracked

Every footstep you’ve taken

Around this room.

That enraged face

With bared teeth

And deeply etched brow

Has only intensified

From the moment you’ve walked in.

No, don’t look!

That’s what he wants.

If you give him your attention

You’ll be giving him life,

And then who knows what he is capable of.

Wait, who locked the door?

I didn’t.

Did you?

June 19, 2020

Fresh Baked Bread (A poem)

Hello everyone! I have pre-order information on my first published poem, “Hush.” My poem is featured in the Charlotte Poetry Review and can be ordered here: https://www.localgemspoetrypress.com/north-carolina-bards-charlotte-preorders.html?fbclid=IwAR3W3C-dRI3unuY2F5ay2B6zcCXMwoJNIYIpTjfN5XKGNAKWO5Ug1PcVJMc

Please enjoy this poem for free!

FRESH BAKED BREAD

Humming and kneading,

Rocking and sighing,

Rising and waiting.

I sift my discontent in the flour,

I pound my pain into the dough,

I sit silently,

wrestle inwardly,

And let the baking heat flash over me.

Then everything cools.

I butter the bread

And I’m well fed.

With a full stomach,

And plenty leftover,

I am soothed.

June 15, 2020June 15, 2020

Ours (A Poem)

Great news! I have proofed my poems for the NC Bards anthology and the Bards Against Hunger chapbook, and they will be available soon. I will be sure to post links here if you’re interested in purchasing them. There is a lot of great work from other poets in these collections, so you would be getting diverse poetry from numerous talents. Also, the proceeds from Bards Against Hunger go to local food banks in North Carolina.

I don’t usually do “love poems” because very few people can pull them off without being sappy. But it’s mine and my husband’s 7th wedding anniversary today, so I’m giving it a go.

Here is this week’s poem:

OURS

Your sacred soul

And my holy heart

Breathe defiant life

In this bitter, brittle tundra.

Our hands interweave to hold

A warmth that shames

The ice that creeps away

To hidden corners.

Nothing dare touch us

In our infinite divine.

June 10, 2020

Weekly Poems

I have been writing poetry since I was a little girl. I won prizes for my poetry and did public readings of them. I didn’t write as much in college and in grad school. But last year I started writing poetry again, and this year I started submitting poems to be published.

I want to get my poems out there to be read, and I have two poems being published soon! Both by NC Bards, one in an anthology and one in a chapbook. When those are available I will post links to them.

As I gain experience in my poetry publishing, I want to share some on my blog too. So I have decided to write poems to share on here each week. I mean, who is going to read my poetry unless I go ahead and share my art with everyone?

Here’s the first one for you to enjoy:

Eve Out of Eden: A Haiku

Yes, I ate the fruit.

But who are you to judge me?

This was not your choice.

January 24, 2020

What I am Doing with My Year

I know people go back and forth with resolutions for the new year. Some years I do, some I don’t. This year I am really focusing on the person I want to be after a year of deconstruction. In many ways, this is very exciting. I can really shape who I am, and that will tell me more about where I am going. At first, I was bitter about feeling like I had to start over with so much of my life after working so hard, but I have accepted that this is where I am in my life. I am excited to rediscover parts of myself and reinvent who I am. So here are my goals and resolutions for 2020.

Photo by fotografierende on Pexels.com

Photo by Simon Migaj on Pexels.com

Read more fiction and poetry: Most of my reading for the past… 6? 7? 8? years has been theology and Christian nonfiction. From academic reading to more mainstream authors like Nadia Bolz-Weber and Anne Lamott, I have imbibed literature that centers on my faith and ministry career. I am very tired of the jargon, buzzwords, and church-talk. Eventually, it gets stale and repetitive even with the “new” and “progressive” ideas. So I am going back to fiction and poetry, my first loves, to stimulate my imagination and reframe my view of the world. Speaking of poetry…
2020 is the year of poetry: I have been writing poetry since I was a child, and now I am going to get serious about it. I am writing poetry and submitting it to literary magazines. I am also collecting some for a book to publish (maybe before the end of the year? Before I turn 30?) I am proud of publishing a book of sermons and 2 articles in 2019, but creative, poetic writing is my heart. I am returning to my heart.

Photo by Mark Cruzat on Pexels.com

Photo by Thought Catalog on Pexels.com

Photo by Joy Deb on Pexels.com
A new career direction: I don’t know where I am headed in ministry. I am not going to try to force anything to happen. I am going to let things unfold the way they need to. I felt pushed and pulled throughout my entire ministry career. I have never had time to just think, heal, discern, and just be. I want my faith to have space to breathe for a minute. This means I cannot wait around for ministry to be my full-time income. I have loans to pay. I want to travel. Ministry may be on hold, or floating, or slowly unfolding, or whatever, but my life must keep moving forward. So I am going to be getting a certification from the University of South Carolina in grant writing. I want to use my research and writing skills with my experience in nonprofit work to take my career in a new direction. This is worthy work and something I will be thrilled to spend my days doing, proposing grants for nonprofits and other organizations that need funding to help others.

So much can change in a year. I am a completely different person now than I was in January 2019. I can’t wait to see who I become at the end of the year as we enter a new decade (and I will be entering a new decade in November!) I wish you well as you embark on a new year full of changes.