Category Archives: other deepening places

This Father’s Day I had planned to post a poem I wrote in honor of my Italian father and grandfather a few years back, but this morning I heard the phrase “fathers-forth” in my heart. Deep within me the voice of Gerard Manley Hopkins echoed and I knew that today was a day for PiedContinue reading “Father’s Day Blessing from Gerard Manley Hopkins”

Sometimes, Middle-earth and Perelandra don’t seem so far away! Over the weekend, my friend Kyle mentioned returning to Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and McCullough’s John Adams for inspiration. They spoke to him of enduring hardship to build a better future. At the same time, I’ve been revisiting The Lord of the Rings filmsContinue reading “Insight from the Inklings”

I am a Flyers fan. I know, I know; I’ve lost many of you already. And if I were to predict a playoff series victory against our cross-state rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins, I can only imagine the comments this post would receive. I might even hit a record high since starting this site. But youContinue reading “Considering the Source”

Rather than rush out my three photo inspired poems tonight, I felt we required a journey to the deepening ground of Denise Levertov. I fell in love with this poem when I first read it in the AP English Literature textbook I use by Edgar Roberts. In a time when how we move forward asContinue reading “What it Means to Live”

The deepening wells of literature are abundant for those who still care to read, and though I have a long list of works I intend to share here, from T. S. Eliot to Herman Melville, I return to one of my favorites: Wendell Berry. If you’ve been to my site before, you’ll know Berry isContinue reading “The Eternal Timely Genius of Wendell Berry”

During this time of online learning for my students, I came across this poem in the final unit for my AP English Literature & Composition course. The unit focuses on the use of figurative language: simile, metaphor, and personification. Little did the creators of the course know that this poem would be so timely! It’sContinue reading “David Hernandez’s “Happiness Epidemic””

My wife came across this gem by Mary Oliver, who died just a little over a year ago. I first encountered Oliver’s work in “The Black Walnut Tree” as a free response question on the AP English Literature exam. Since then, I’ve been starving for more Oliver! This piece is just what the doctor orderedContinue reading “Mary Oliver’s “A Dream of Trees””

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore Last night, I pulled a book off the shelf to read to my youngest two boys before bed, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce. I came across the book years ago, and I have always appreciated both the art and the message.Continue reading “Prescriptions for the Quiet”