News

It matters how we treat each other. In every interaction the chance to remind others (and ourselves) that we are made of treasure. I am grateful to Reformed Journal for publishing this poem.   As You Have Done for Me If you were here I would put my hand on …

What happens when we all bring whatever small light we have? I am grateful to Reformed Journal for publishing “Bioluminescence“–and grateful to Rose Postma for the podcast she did on this poem–in this 15-minute Reformed Journal podcast,  I read the poem and we talk about its origins. Bioluminescence Sometimes, when …

It matters, the story we tell ourselves. Nowhere has this been more profoundly evident for me than around the death of my son. It’s poetry, but it’s practical. Step one: Hear the story. Step two: Notice what other story is possible.  Step three: Notice how this framing deeply influences how …

I think of it all the time–how will humanity come together? How will we unite? Is it possible? I look for metaphors in the world that give evidence for such miracles. And there’s evidence. That’s what this poem is about, published in the amazing Braided Way in May, 2022. Coming …

When The Denver Foundation began planning to move to Casa Grande on Poet’s Row on Capitol Hill in Denver, they decided to name the rooms in their new office after nine contemporary Colorado poets. As the Foundation writes in it’s press release: We elected to embrace the spirit of the …

Heartbeat, an acapella group in Telluride, has been singing together since 1994. This concert, hosted at Christ Church in Telluride on April 27, 2022, features some of the group’s favorite songs (folk, pop, bluegrass, originals and more) from the past several decades, including Rise Up, Down to the River, Good …

I LOVE Gratefulness.org–I love what inspires it, I love the poems they publish, I love the conversations they have and the questions they ask … and I am so grateful to have this poem, “Temple,” published on their site.   Temple O body, cracked bell that still sings when struck, …

What a deep sweetness to discover that Tara Brach, a teacher I admire greatly for her books Radical Acceptance and Radical Compassion, read one of my poems to close a meditation yesterday. She read “The Question,” which is in James Crews‘ lovely new anthology The Path to Kindness. You can also …

Years ago I wrote a poem called “First Pink.” And some time after that, the phenomenal composer Paul Fowler made it into a remarkable song for The Crossing to sing as part of The Jeff Quartets, a collection of original compositions to honor the loss of a beloved singer. I …

“Being human means to sometimes lose perspective,” says the back cover of Imperfect II. “We focus on the one negative comment we received instead of the ten positive ones …” I love the idea behind this collection—that poetry can help us put things back in perspective. If you have a …