Poem of the Month ~~ October 2011 Happy Anniversary, Poem of the Month! October 2006: talking about poetry with Denny, my neighbor. A sudden inspiration: how ‘bout a flyer box in the front yard stuffed with poems? Just a wee conversation plus one simple act, and here we are, five years and 60 poems later! [...]
Linda Johnson’s journals from Ethiopia. See part 1 for more information. Ethiopian Journal 6-9-11 The past 48 hours have been incredible, challenging, and very emotional for me. The best way I can think to describe it is when deepest dreams meet natural gifts to become reality. More of an explanation is in order. The pace [...]
As tumors are shattering her bones from the inside, he asks God for healing miracles. Her relatives have not visited for more than a week (though part of that is denial). Still, he never leaves her side, grateful that being unemployed means he can be with her, sleeping in the hospital night after night, a [...]
There’s a distinct irony to the journey as I explore what comes next in becoming a health care chaplain. Chaplains are required to be inter-faith, willing and able to meet the needs of every patient regardless of religious creed or spiritual context. I happen to be one of those people who wish our entire world [...]
The fog was my first friend in San Fransisco. A year ago I quickly uprooted from Bend Oregon to accept a residency as a health care chaplain . I was blessed to get into this stipended Clinical Pastoral Education program without previous experience or the often requisite Masters of Divinity. I was also lead to [...]
Intention Gliding Tumbling Expelling Until Nothing is left. Spaciousness This moment Now. Bookmark on Delicious Digg this post Recommend on Facebook share via Reddit Share with Stumblers Tweet about it Subscribe to the comments on this post
This Christmas, my six-year-old son taught me the lesson of how valuable it can be to pay attention–a found poem. Guilty Bystander The gate of heaven is everywhere. —Thomas Merton, “Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander” “I don’t know,” says Finn, and I forget what that first question was, but speaking into the microphone of the [...]
A miraculous five minutes early to my appointment. The motor has been turned off but its rhythm still shakes my core. I close my eyes and try to breathe. The fat people, sitting on my chest, just laugh at me. The high pitched hum ringing in my ears stops all effort. Dang it! I want [...]
I am writing right now simply just to feel my fingers typing. My summer brain had not allowed for much writing, reading hasn’t been a go to activity since the days had gotten long enough to use the evenings for entire days worth of activity after a work day of work. In some sense, summer [...]
Poem of the Month ~ December 2010 May you use this season of long nights to enter the dark fertility of your imagination. Think thoroughly wild thoughts, dream impossible dreams, feel the truth your body yearns for you to know. In this season, may you gift yourself with long-needed rest and feel nourished by a [...]