Healing alchemy:

It’s an invitation to look at the weight we carry with different eyes—to see our struggles not as proof that we’re failing, but as the raw material for something deeper, stronger, and more meaningful. I brought in a line from Epictetus that has been sitting with me lately, and we explore what it means to transform our suffering instead of being crushed by it.

And as a way of saying thank you, I wrote this haiku in calligraphy, framed it, and I’m giving it away.

Giveaway details:

Thanks for joining me.

“may I be I is the only prayer—”

I'd love to hear what you have to say about the episode including thoughts on the poetry and the topics that were discussed. You can email me at [email protected].

My books of poetry are availabe for purchase at

Amazon.com

["The Ghost of a Beating Heart", "My Mother Sleeps" and "Haiku Village"]()

Nature's beauty is

We hold on so tightly sometimes—trying to shape outcomes, control people, or force clarity when life just isn’t ready to give it. But nature reminds us: the leaf releases when its season is done.

In this week’s episode of The Poet (delayed), I talk with my friend Sarah Daniels about the quiet strength of letting go—about learning to release what we can’t control, trusting the timing of life (or God, the universe, whatever name you give it), and finding peace in that surrender.

Letting go isn’t easy. It’s uncomfortable. It’s scary. But it’s also where calm begins.

I'd love to hear what you have to say about the episode including thoughts on the poetry and the topics that were discussed. You can email me at [email protected].

My books of poetry are availabe for purchase at

Amazon.com

["The Ghost of a Beating Heart", "My Mother Sleeps" and "Haiku Village"]()

Special Guest: Sarah Daniels.

In this special episode, recorded live at "Torchlight" last April, I reflect on the defining losses, trials, and awakenings of my life through the lens of poetry and personal story. Drawing on Nietzsche’s insight that “to live is to suffer, to survive is to find meaning in the suffering,” I explore how our deepest wounds can become bridges—not barriers—to human connection.

This is an honest meditation on grief, growth, and the strange alchemy that happens when we turn toward our pain and find each other there.

I'd love to hear what you have to say about the episode including thoughts on the poetry and the topics that were discussed. You can email me at [email protected].

My books of poetry are availabe for purchase at

Amazon.com

["The Ghost of a Beating Heart", "My Mother Sleeps" and "Haiku Village"]()

When Vesuvius

Sometimes our gut warns us to leave, but we stay.

This week on The Poet (delayed), we explore what happens when we ignore that deep inner rumble. Why we override our intuition. Why we stay when we should go. Why we hide when we’re being called to step forward. And what it might look like to finally trust the wisdom of the gut over the noise of the mind.

I'd love to hear what you have to say about the episode including thoughts on the poetry and the topics that were discussed. You can email me at [email protected].

My first book of poetry, My Mother Sleeps, is availabe for purchase at

The King's English Bookshop

and

Amazon.com

God speaks to each of us as he makes us,

I was joined this episode by Chris and Elise Jones and Ali Talbot. We gathered in the warm, book-lined library at Chris and Elise Jones’ home and just talked.

We read Rainer Maria Rilke’s poem Go to the Limits of Your Longing, and from there we let the conversation unfold naturally. We talked about suffering — not in a heavy, hopeless way, but in the way you talk when you know that pain and beauty are woven into the same thread. We explored what it means to surrender to life’s difficulties instead of resisting them. We laughed about childhood memories, tofu meatloaf, and the glory of Saturday morning cartoons. We got real about trauma, caretaking, creating from heartbreak, and what it means to show up for each other when life breaks us open.

This episode is about sitting with what’s hard, about finding connection through vulnerability, and about how creativity — whether it’s poetry, baking, music, or just making something out of pain — can save us in quiet, powerful ways.

It’s also about joy. Tangents. Belly laughs. Tears. Root beer ice cream sandwiches.

Give it a listen. It’s not polished, but it’s real. And sometimes that’s exactly what we need most.

I'd love to hear what you have to say about the episode including thoughts on the poetry and the topics that were discussed. You can email me at [email protected].

My books of poetry, My Mother Sleeps, The Ghost of a Beating Heart and Haiku Village are availabe for purchase at

Amazon.com

Special Guests: Ali Talbot, Christian Jones, and Elise Jones.

Join me and Sherrie Love as we read her poem, Descension and then have a conversation about the slow, brave work of reclaiming ourselves—of getting to know who we are again after life has scattered the pieces. We talk about the struggle, the beauty, and the quiet joy of becoming whole. And we draw wisdom from the sun—how it simply shines, without apology, without hesitation, no matter who is beneath its light. What would it mean for us to live like that?

Descension

Something is shifting.

I'd love to hear what you have to say about the episode including thoughts on the poetry and the topics that were discussed. You can email me at [email protected].

My books of poetry, My Mother Sleeps and The Ghost of a Beating Heart are availabe for purchase at

Amazon.com

Special Guest: Sherrie Love.

Some conversations only happen on the road—miles slipping by, the hum of tires, and the kind of quiet that invites reflection. In this episode, I drove with my friend Jason Wheatley to Sun Valley, Idaho, where he was delivering paintings for an upcoming art show. As we drove, we talked about his journey into art, the impulse to create, and the ways beauty can emerge from both solitude and connection.

It’s a meandering, thoughtful exchange—about art, life, and the things we’re still trying to understand. After dropping off his work, we made a stop at Hemingway’s grave and memorial, a silent moment that seemed to echo the themes of the trip: legacy, voice, and what we leave behind.

I'd love to hear what you have to say about the episode including thoughts on the poetry and the topics that were discussed. You can email me at [email protected].

My first book of poetry, My Mother Sleeps, is availabe for purchase at

The King's English Bookshop

and

Amazon.com

Special Guest: Jason Wheatley.

In this conversation, I talk with my friend Christian Jones—a local musician and songwriter who’ll be performing at Torchlight on June 21. We explore the tension between daily responsibilities and the need to stay connected to our creativity. Christian opens up about how songwriting and playing guitar have helped him navigate life, stay emotionally grounded, and build meaningful connections with others. We reflect on how creativity not only heals us, but also creates ripples that reach those around us. The episode ends with Christian sharing his moving original song, A Little Less Blue

I'd love to hear what you have to say about the episode including thoughts on the poetry and the topics that were discussed. You can email me at [email protected].

My first book of poetry, My Mother Sleeps, is availabe for purchase at

The King's English Bookshop

and

Amazon.com

Special Guest: Christian Jones.

In this episode of The Poet (delayed), I sit down with my friend Chris Hales to unpack a journey that pushed him to the edge—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Chris took on the Grand Canyon rim to rim to rim, a grueling 50+ mile hike through one of the most unforgiving landscapes on earth. He spent months preparing, training his body and mind for the challenge ahead. But even with all the planning and readiness, nothing could fully prepare him for the brutal terrain, the heat, the exhaustion—and the moments of doubt that crept in along the way.

What emerged from the struggle, though, was something far greater. Chris shares how the hardship brought him closer to the people he hiked with, including his wife, and how those shared miles—step after painful step—forged memories and connections that will last a lifetime. It’s a story of endurance, humility, and discovering the strength that comes not just from finishing, but from walking the hard road with people you love.

You can email me at [email protected].

My first book of poetry, My Mother Sleeps, is availabe for purchase at

The King's English Bookshop

and

Amazon.com

Special Guest: Chris Hales.

In this episode of The Poet (delayed), I sit down with my friend Josh Barron to talk about The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis. We just begin to unpack this powerful and thought-provoking book, discussing its clear Christian themes while also exploring how its core ideas—about selfishness, humility, perspective, and human connection—transcend religious boundaries. Whether you’re deeply spiritual, loosely spiritual, or not religious at all, the principles in this book speak to how we can build better relationships, stronger communities, and more compassionate lives. It’s the beginning of a larger conversation, and we’ll be diving deeper in future episodes.

I'd love to hear what you have to say about the episode including thoughts on the poetry and the topics that were discussed. You can email me at [email protected].

My books of poetry, My Mother Sleeps, The Ghost of a Beating Heart and Haiku Village are availabe for purchase at

Amazon.com

Special Guest: Josh Baron.