The better angels of poetry

Hello friends, it is not only others who ask "where poems come from" or "what does this poem mean?" Often poets themselves don't know how inspiration arrives; we amuse ourselves thinking we are entertaining muses unaware, much as some like to…

Celebrating an Inclusive World

Hi, friends, I like to think of myself as a political and religious progressive. But I was very impressed by the Windsor wedding in 2018 as a creative blend of old and new. So I wrote a poem about it with an "ecological" turn. Enjoy. Thanks.…

A Pope Who Blows Kisses

Hello friends. The pontificate of Francis has been unique in many ways. Some of these ways have not been met with open arms or acceptance, whether from the Curia in Rome or Catholic parishioners in America. Yet Francis seems a Pope for our times, and willing to humbly seek forgiveness later than ask permission first.

“The Hard and the Soft”

Hello friends, with springtime here I'm reminded that new growth and wild green everywhere means renewed life and a hopeful season. What looks fragile and tentative in April will be hardy and strong in May storms and summer heat. As my poem…

Birthday wishes

Dear friends, today is my 91st birthday. My fondest wish for all of you is that you find peace and contentment right where you are. Often, we try to put these feelings into words, and just as often fail: the Buddha would tell us stop looking…