Author’s Journal
Reflections, observations, creative thoughts, and notes from the ongoing journey of writing, living, and paying attention to the world around us.
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The Better Angels: A Preview of Inspired Poetry, Volume II
A first look at Inspired Poetry, Volume II, featuring “The Better Angels,” a reflection on Abraham Lincoln, reconciliation, justice, and the unfinished work of freedom.
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The Memory of Rain
When the storm has passed, the world reveals a quieter kind of beauty. In puddles, glistening streets, and the evening chorus of nature, even the rain leaves behind memories worth cherishing.
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Held in the Hand of God
In the infinite mystery of the universe, our spirits wander beyond the boundaries of imagination, drawn toward the creative Source of all existence. Though our earthly lives are fleeting, we are never truly lost or alone. Perhaps, in the vastness of creation, we are simply floating in the cupped hand of God.
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Joy Harjo and the Map That Speaks
Joy Harjo’s Living Nations, Living Words inspired “The Map That Speaks,” a poem about listening to Indigenous voices and recognizing that a map can never contain the full history of a place.
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Thomas Paine: When Words Become Revolution
Thomas Paine carried no army and held no throne. His instrument was the written word—and with it he challenged monarchy, defended individual conscience, and helped ordinary people imagine a different kind of freedom.
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Sojourner Truth: A Voice That Refused to Be Silenced
Born into slavery as Isabella Baumfree, Sojourner Truth transformed her freedom into a lifetime of advocacy. Her story reminds us that truth does not require permission from power before it can be spoken.
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Chief Joseph and the Treaty His People Called a Theft
Gold seekers entered Nimíipuu land, and the U.S. government pursued a treaty that took away most of the reservation. Chief Joseph’s stand against that injustice inspires a poem in my upcoming collection.
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The Joy and Burden of Inspiration
Inspiration doesn’t always arrive as something beautiful or comforting. Sometimes it comes through grief, anger, and uncomfortable truths. A personal reflection on how reading Andrea Freeman’s Ruin Their Crops on the Ground reminded me that the joy of writing includes the willingness to be deeply moved.
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The Work of Us
While writing Welcome to the Table, I wondered what a presidential victory speech might sound like if it called Americans not to defeat one another, but to listen, reconnect, and begin the work of us.