Uncomfortably, Beautifully Human

Thank you for listening to this poem.

If something landed, I'd love to know. Leave a comment, or reach out at [email protected].

If you're going through something and could use a thinking partner, I work with people navigating change. You can share where you're at here and I'll send you a free personal reflection within 48 hours.

And if this poem found you at the right moment, share it with someone who might need it too.

💜

There's a voice that many of us know well. The one that says tread lightly, that you're not good enough for the dreams you're quietly reaching for. This poem isn't about silencing that voice. It's about learning to walk beside it instead.

Thank you for listening / reading.

If something landed, I'd love to know. Leave a comment, or reach out at [email protected].

If you're going through something and could use a thinking partner, I work with people navigating change. You can share where you're at here and I'll send you a free personal reflection within 48 hours.

And if this poem found you at the right moment, share it with someone who might need it too.

💜

Thank you for listening to this poem.

If something landed, I'd love to know. Leave a comment, or reach out at [email protected].

If you're going through something and could use a thinking partner, I work with people navigating change. You can share where you're at and I'll send you a free personal reflection within 48 hours. [Link to Tally form]

And if this poem found you at the right moment, share it with someone who might need it too.

💜

Thank you for reading this article or listening to the podcast/poem. I greatly appreciate all of you who engage with and listen to what I share. If you’d like to support the work I do, you can leave a 5-star review on either Apple or Spotify, or head to the Uncomfortably, Beautifully Human Substack using the link below, where you'll find more poetry, meditations, and much more.

what theme would you like me to share a poem or conversation about next week? Let me know in the comments or reaching out to me my email [email protected]

💜

Putting your poems out into the world can feel scary, cathartic, and everything in between. Kallie, the founder of TellTell Poetry and I explore all things writing and publishing poetry in this episode of Written in the Wild.

Meet Kallie Falandays

Today I’m joined by Kallie Falandays, a writer and the founder of Tell Tell Poetry and Tell Tell Copywriting. In her own words, “she believes in magic.”

Kallie also received her MFA from Wichita State University. She is the author of Dovetail Down the House (Burnside Review), The Cricket and the Very Old Very Little Lady (Tell Tell Poetry), and All the Water All the Waves (Dancing Girl Press). You can find her published works on her website here.

About This Episode

We Talk About:

* The process of writing poetry and blending it with learning craft and skill

* The cathartic and therapeutic process of poetry

* Being a poet and a business owner in the world of poetry

* Self-publishing vs. traditional publishing

* Practical ways to get started if you have a collection of poems you’d like to publish

One Thing to Take with You:

Publishing and writing poetry is a very personal process. There’s no single route or right way to share the words you choose to write. This episode is here to help you feel empowered to discover and walk your own unique path.

Connect with Kallie Falandays:

* Websites: www.telltellpoetry.com / www.telltellcopywriting.com / https://kalliefalandays.com/

* Where to submit: https://www.telltellpoetry.com/42-university-lit-mags-journals-why-to-submit/

https://www.telltellpoetry.com/tell-tell-poetrys-where-to-submit-poetry-december-2025-january-2026-and-february-2026/

* Courses: https://www.telltellpoetry.com/resource-index/

* Free publishing guide: https://www.telltellpoetry.com/resources/self-publishing-guide/

If This Episode Resonated with You

Thank you for reading this article or listening to the podcast/poem. I greatly appreciate all of you who engage with and listen to what I share. If you’d like to support the work I do, you can leave a 5-star review on either Apple or Spotify, or head to the Uncomfortably, Beautifully Human Substack using the link below, where you'll find more poetry, meditations, and much more.

what theme would you like me to share a poem or conversation about next week? Let me know in the comments or reaching out to me my email [email protected]

Thank you for reading this article or listening to the podcast / poem. I greatly appreciate all of you who engage with and listen to what I share. If you’d like to support the work I do, you can leave a 5-star review on either Apple or Spotify, or head to the Uncomfortably, Beautifully Human Substack using the link below, where you'll find more poetry, meditations, and much more.

what theme would you like me to share a poem or conversation about next week? Let me know in the comments or reaching out to me my email [email protected]

💜

Thank you for reading this article or listening to the podcast. I greatly appreciate all of you who engage with and listen to what I share. If you’d like to support the work I do, you can leave a 5-star review on either Apple or Spotify, or head to the Uncomfortably, Beautifully Human Substack using the link below, where you'll find more poetry, meditations, and much more.

what theme would you like me to share a poem or conversation about next week? Let me know in the comments or reaching out to me my email [email protected]

💜

Chapters

00:00 - Intentions Behind the Book

02:23 - The Journey of Eleanorah

06:13 - Patterns of Identity and Belonging

09:41 - Navigating Relationships and Growth

14:19 - The Battlefield of Nursing

22:18 - The Complexity of Life and Death

25:50 - Embracing Uncertainty and Questions

30:13 - Finding Home Within Oneself

33:44 - The Healing Power of Writing

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Thank you for reading this article or listening to the podcast. I greatly appreciate all of you who engage with and listen to what I share. If you’d like to support the work I do, you can leave a 5-star review on either Apple or Spotify, or head to the Uncomfortably, Beautifully Human Substack using the link below, where you'll find more poetry, meditations, and much more.

Out guest today is Mariah Friend.

Mariah is a poet, former ICU nurse, and creator of Heartbeats—a nurturing community where creative caregivers find their rhythm and permission to honor all of life's seasons as sacred. Drawing from her experiences with grief, motherhood, and professional burnout, she accompanies others through life's natural cycles with compassion and intuitive wisdom as a peer, never an expert. In her work as a community builder, tarot reader, and creativity champion, Mariah creates spaces where the "both/and" of the human experience is honored: joy intertwined with grief, rest alongside creation, solitude beside belonging. Like nature, she believes our lives ebb and flow in cycles with opportunities to embrace and embody their distinct wisdom.

Through seasonal journal prompts, Connection Circles, and creative championing, she creates authentic, welcoming spaces to remember and celebrate our belonging while sharing tools and resources to collaborate, circulate abundance, and cultivate generous reciprocity. We were never meant to navigate the journey alone. Mariah invites you to join Heartbeats and discover your resonance with the pulse of life.

Connect with Mariah & the Heartbeat’s Community

https://thebarefootbeat.substack.com/

www.thebarefootbeat.com

https://www.instagram.com/mariah.m.friend

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what theme would you like me to share a poem or conversation about next week? Let me know in the comments or reaching out to me my email [email protected]

💜

Thank you for reading this article or listening to the podcast. I greatly appreciate all of you who engage with and listen to what I share. If you’d like to support the work I do, you can leave a 5-star review on either Apple or Spotify, or head to the Uncomfortably, Beautifully Human Substack using the link below, where you'll find more poetry, meditations, and much more.

what theme would you like me to share a poem or conversation about next week? Let me know in the comments or reaching out to me my email [email protected]

💜

Thank you for reading this article or listening to the podcast. I greatly appreciate all of you who engage with and listen to what I share. If you’d like to support the work I do, you can leave a 5-star review on either Apple or Spotify, or head to the Uncomfortably, Beautifully Human Substack using the link below, where you'll find more poetry, meditations, and much more.

what theme would you like me to share a poem or conversation about next week? Let me know in the comments or reaching out to me my email [email protected]