Category: other deepening places

The Kitchen Table: The Savory Wisdom of Joy Harjo #Poetry #KitchenTable #EndoftheWorld #JoyHarjo

30 Nov 2022

Thanksgiving may have passed, but may the life found around the kitchen table never end! To my delight, I came across this Joy Harjo poem today and knew immediately that I needed to share this deepening place. There’s good earth here and Harjo’s profound realism and imagery invites us all to savor every sweet bite … More The Kitchen Table: The Savory Wisdom of Joy Harjo #Poetry #KitchenTable #EndoftheWorld #JoyHarjo

I Hear Walt Whitman Singing: O Me! O Life! #Poetry #Life #USA #Whitman

14 Nov 2022

I just couldn’t sit on this one, even if Walt Whitman Wednesdays sounds catchy. I’ve known this poem since I first heard it years ago in the movie Dead Poets Society starring Robin Williams. A fellow AP English teacher I’ve followed for the past two years shared it in her post this week (along with … More I Hear Walt Whitman Singing: O Me! O Life! #Poetry #Life #USA #Whitman

Mary Oliver Mondays: Snow Geese #Poetry #Geese #Birds #Busyness #Fall #MaryOliver

7 Nov 2022

Fall and Mary Oliver today. From a wonderful collection of poetry titled Why I Wake Early. Admittedly, waking early isn’t in my vocabulary, save for the demand my job puts upon me as a high school English teacher. But for sights such as these, I would race the sun out of bed, “[t]o love what … More Mary Oliver Mondays: Snow Geese #Poetry #Geese #Birds #Busyness #Fall #MaryOliver

Wendell Berry Wednesdays: Be Present #Poetry #Vacation #Present #WendellBerry

12 Oct 2022

Wendell Berry never ceases to amaze me. Here, I am reminded of the hours my father spent behind one of those old clunky VHS camcorders of the late 1980s. Rather than taking part in our family vacations, he served as video historian and ended up watching us and everything we experienced through a small lens, … More Wendell Berry Wednesdays: Be Present #Poetry #Vacation #Present #WendellBerry

The Quintessential Poem for the Season #Poetry #Autumn #Romantic #JohnKeats

24 Sep 2022

This poem needs no introduction. As the temperatures dropped to the high fifties on Friday and I slipped into one of my favorite hoodies, I knew Autumn had arrived. No better way to celebrate the changing of the seasons than to read “To Autumn” by John Keats. Grab a cup of hot cider, sit down … More The Quintessential Poem for the Season #Poetry #Autumn #Romantic #JohnKeats

Mary Oliver Mondays: A Lesson from Late Summer #Poetry #Summer #Roses #MaryOliver

19 Sep 2022

Summer draws to a close, a new week begins, and I return to the deepening ground of Mary Oliver’s poetry. Hear the invitation to spend our lives “on some / unstinting happiness,” but not according to the world’s definition. Rather, the simple overlooked gifts that poets like Mary Oliver and Wendell Berry capture so beautifully. … More Mary Oliver Mondays: A Lesson from Late Summer #Poetry #Summer #Roses #MaryOliver

Longing After a Busy Weekend #Peace #Poetry #Simplicity #WendellBerry

5 Sep 2022

At the end of long weekend, I returned to the wisdom of Wendell Berry. Oh, for the peace of simple things and the dumb life of roots! (If you haven’t read The Peace of Wild Things, then you MUST follow this link to hear Wendell Berry read the powerful companion piece and fitting follow-up to … More Longing After a Busy Weekend #Peace #Poetry #Simplicity #WendellBerry

Marriage: The Commonwealth of Joy – Thoughts from My Father-of-the-Groom Speech a la Wendell Berry #Poetry #Berry #Joy #Marriage

10 Aug 2022

We have returned, having shrunk and grown, having lost and gained, having witnessed death and birth. In my father-of-the-groom speech, I ruminated on each of these thoughts as we celebrated the union of my son and his bride. The day was perfect, despite the downpour just before the ceremony and humidity that followed. I closed … More Marriage: The Commonwealth of Joy – Thoughts from My Father-of-the-Groom Speech a la Wendell Berry #Poetry #Berry #Joy #Marriage

Two Gems from John Keats #Poetry #Keats #Insects #Seasons #Life

1 Aug 2022

Reading Andrew Klavan’s The Truth and Beauty stirred up the embers of my Romantic poetry fires. Most importantly, it led to a deeper appreciation for the poetry of John Keats. I have loved his most famous works for years including “Bright Star” and “La Belle Dame Sans Merci,” but I came upon these two wonderful … More Two Gems from John Keats #Poetry #Keats #Insects #Seasons #Life

On Marriage, Patriotism, and Life: Book Dart Quotes from Wendell Berry’s “Fidelity” – #BookDarts #Marriage #Patriotism #Life #WendellBerry #Quotes

28 Jul 2022

July draws to a close, a month bookended by two key celebrations: the birth of America and the birth of my marriage! Between those two memorial stones falls a variety of family trips, community gatherings, and musical gigs that encompass a typical summer with August’s shadow looming. School is just around the corner. Time to … More On Marriage, Patriotism, and Life: Book Dart Quotes from Wendell Berry’s “Fidelity” – #BookDarts #Marriage #Patriotism #Life #WendellBerry #Quotes