I do not pretend to be a poet. In fact, those closest to me know I do not even like to be referred to as a poet and will never call myself one. There are too many poets preceding me whose shoes’ latchets I am not worthy to unloose, so to speak. I am simply someone who loves poetry–reading it, listening to it, writing it above all–and I have been lucky enough to have a couple published here and there. And so, for what it is worth, I am posting some of my poems. They are presented without backstory, explanation, or insight. I am happy to discuss that another time (feel free to reach out if a particular piece resonates with you). But for now, take them in as you will. Let them do with you as they will. There is no right or wrong interpretation, only feelings. They may mean something different to you than to me or some other reader. And that is okay; more than okay, that is beautiful. It is what I love about poetry. May they speak to you in a language only you can understand. Either way, through them, in the moment you read them and maybe beyond, we will be connected. Though we do not know each other, I will suddenly be a part of your story, and you will be a part of mine. Thank you. That transaction is no small thing.
Note: I have written hundreds of poems. I will, from time to time, add some of my favorites here. They may be presented alongside creative video interpretations (like the three above), but most of the time they will be presented as rudimentary “bedroom” recordings. While they are not by any means limited to a particular theme or type (love, loss, coming of age, etc.), I have tried to organize them into categories. These categories are very loosely based on a foundational image, idea or time period around which the poem unfolds. In many cases, however, they are, in a very broad sense, love poems.
And because poetry is as much visual (seeing the text) as it is auditory (hearing it read), the poems have in their entirety been included in the description of each video on YouTube. All pieces are copyrighted by the writer. Also, while I am the writer of each piece, I am not necessarily the speaker. Enjoy!
Poetry Categories Below:
Bird Songs/Nature | Meta-Poetic/Literary | Religion/Spirituality | Childhood/Kids | Miscellaneous
Bird Songs, Nature
Pieces that explore love and relationships through nature, in particular birds
Wonder
In which young love is compared to the old and new seven wonders of the world
Songbirds according to the…
National Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Birds, Western Region
Morning Tea
A wren invites a couple for morning tea
Young birders…
on the long bus ride home from the Ornithology museum
Bird Songs
A poem made up of five distinct songs
Among the fauna and flora
Decisive moments for various animalia under Abies Grandes, a Grand Fir tree.
On a walk in winter
Spring, love begin to bloom
What I learned on Skywest Airlines…
American Eagle, Flight 4283 to Seattle.
Rare Find
A countdown to the rarest bird and love
Why I quietly leave the room…
and go about my day
Through the Looking Glass
A warbler’s last whistle and trill
Nestled
About a nest, long hair, and heart roots
About the bird that flew…
headlong into my windshield after divorce
Bird Bath
A mature piece about aging love
Meta-Poetic/Literary
Pieces that explore poetry or use as their primary theme a poetic or literary element
Senior Prom in the Library
A poem about love, literature, and dancing closer than a dictionary apart
En Medias Res
A poem about reading books and people
The Bearded Ones
A piece about beards, words, and power
How to Read Poetry I:
Come on in, the water feels great!
How to Read Poetry 2:
Spoons are overrated
Amuse Bouches
Reservations, poetry, and fine dining
Iteration: Lost and Found
A poem about poetry and cheese
Stranded
After finding a long hair in a novel
Dog-gone it
Dog earing the chapters in our lives
In Memory of
You without poetry, cast the first stone
Thesaurus Rex
A light piece about words and sovereignty
Religion/Spirituality
Light and serious pieces that use aspects of religion as a springboard for thought.
Irreconcilable Differences
Lincoln next to John Wilkes Booth, Mother Theresa laughing at Miss Monroe’s jokes.
Raising the Bar
Light-hearted piece on expectations for my kids based on Jesus’ example
Unction Junction
About vanity, veins, baby oil and being born again. Published by Tar River, 2013
With Fear and Trembling
A poem about grease and grace
Second Chances
A piece about Barabbas and his second chance at life
Email to God from Gethsemane
A modern take on an important prayer
Like a Rock
About a Chevy in the Mormon parking lot. First published by Tar River, 2014
Cleanliness is Next to Irony
A bubble bath in which humankind sits among its neighbors.
Boulder Holder
A piece about lust, David of old, stones, slings, and slaying monsters.
Holy Guacamole
Guacamole and Love thy Neighbor
Buzzing on to Glory
After squishing a fly in church between the pages of the hymn book.
Childhood/Kids
Poems that explore family, childhood, and the innocence of it all, even in the face of hard times.
Bone Reading
About four little carnivorous boys
Discussing getting pregnant…
on our way to Wendy’s for a Frosty
The Piano Recital
After a son’s piano recital in the midst of a tornado warning
Pulling out of the driveway
A poem about slowing down
Stuck on You
Gum, art, and hanging on to young love
Petrified
About the fear of kids growing up and becoming dinosaurs in their eyes
Closer
After a man took his life behind my elementary school when I was a kid
First in line for kickball
About the chaos of vying to be the first in line for kickball during recess
Inches
A piece about me, my grandpa, counting rings on a tree, and closeness
First Mission
About my first child landing on earth
Miscellaneous
Poems that explore everything from teeth to art to cookies to ex-wives to tattoos to body language
My Teeth–
A light-hearted yet vulnerable piece about my crooked teeth
Live Art
A poem about the beauty of life captured across four distinct facets of life
How Great Thine Art
A poem about the beauty, young love, and Permanent Alizarin Crimson
Fortune favors…
A quick stroll through a few fortunes plus a reaction to them.
Alzheimer’s (Like that time…)
A poem about loss, but also: hanging on, refusing to let go.
State of Emergency
About destruction and naming hurricanes
Tit for Tat
Tattoos, retaliation, and love
Calendar Kiosk…
at the mall in February
Memorial in the Bath and Body…
Works’ Tiki Beach Coconut Scented Candle
Fluency
A mature piece on language and intimacy
Stripped of Pride
A poem about what’s underneath, what really matters
Carboard Cutout Marilyn…
in the Window (Something’s Got to Give)
Hui Gan (Returning Sweetness)
A mature piece about making tea, Hui Gan (a tea term) and intimacy
Thick-skinned and Mushy
A light-hearted anti-love poem
Portmanteau
A mature piece about connecting
