My first published collection of poems, Prayers In Reverse is a time capsule filled with the emotional insights, pleas and promises of a young woman who turned away from the “God of the Bible” to discover the essence of God in all things, beyond the boundaries of religion. Each poem can be read forwards and in reverse, highlighting the power of context to alter the meaning of one line, one word, and one moment in time.
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Some of my poems:
How to hate
You taught her how to hate
You raised her up
On high-held shoulders
Taught her what to say
And showed her how
To feed the smolders
Fan fodder to flames
And keep alit
The burning rage
From a young age
Your life a stage
You taught her how to hate
A prayer in reverse
Amen
Because all I see is space...
Are you there, God?
I’m tired of answering myself.
I’ve been praying ever since
I heard God was earless:
When I was a child
They told me.
My mind was tied in knots, so
I learned to tighten nooses
On reality.
I never could tighten my grip
On believing.
Maybe I just gave up
I tried to pray but
When I looked in the mirror,
My face became fable.
My faith looked like fiction.
I started to feel like
Fear kept me faithful.
Dear God,
For my mother
Mom:
You were always my
Strength.
You gave me
A roadmap for life.
I followed your example like
You knew more than I ever could.
I still feel like
Your words carry sunlight.
Your thoughts water seeds.
In my mind
You will always be important.
Though,
I know,
You’re not always right:
Grieving
When the pinpoint prick
Of grief
Dulls your senses,
Slows the endless flow
Of space-time around you;
When your guts swirl into
A fisherman’s bend
And the bright of day
Burns through each pupil,
Fusing neurons to your skull;
When the sound of laughter
Leaves the taste of soil
On your tongue;
When the memory of joy
Rouses waves
Of fresh pain:
Know that one day
Your heart will float again.
Athens from Bong Hill
Below,
The earth cradles a city so small —
That “hill” on the ground, looking down, ain’t as tall —
And the hills will remain here
As each building falls
And long after.
Note: I wrote this poem while peering down at Athens, Ohio from the top of a beloved hiking spot known as Bong Hill. The tiny town seemed even tinier from that vantage point.