Too many people think all poems are hard to understand, require a working knowledge of Latin, and require a teacher who is determined to lead (force) you to an interpretation (THEIR interpretation) […]
Some Poems to Love
On Short Poems
First of all, I have to be honest: I have never written a good short poem. I won’t say I “can’t,” because you never know, but the skill it takes to say […]
Why Thinking I Might Be Autistic Helps
A few months ago, I had the opportunity to talk in person with someone I’m close to about adult-diagnosis ADHD and autism. Working with a therapist, she went through the official processes […]
Spending a Life: My Sister, Cancer, and the Present Moment
REPUBLISHED: It’s been over five years since I wrote this post, and my new book, Our Bodies Are Mostly Water, about my sister’s life, death, and my grief, just came out. A […]
You’re Not Broken
Shadows of leaves shifted on the window. I sat in the worn office chair I’d inherited with the office, talking with a bright, talented student who wrote astonishing poems and had implied, […]
Five Reasons Grief is So Hard
Grief is a complex mix of emotions. Society’s focus on work and materialism adds to the difficulty of grieving. Grief isn’t limited to death; it can arise from various losses. Others’ discomfort with grief can make the experience lonelier. Unlike other feelings, grief can persist, with the pain often lasting. Seek support in coping with grief.
Eco-Grief
Over 10 years after it was published, I finally figured out how to read Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants, the astonishing nonfiction book by botanist and poet […]
Four Grief Myths
gods, monsters, and dreams you don’t have to believe in 1. There are only 5 stages of grief, and they’re linear. Nope. Actually, the original describer of those stages, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, came […]
Out of the Howling
I’ve been thinking about this post for months. A week ago, I started to think in more specific ways about it. I planned to post yesterday, but I didn’t. Why? Because I […]
Loneliness and the Modern World
I’ve been thinking about loneliness these days, as I miss my sister and the students I taught at universities and find less comfort and companionship in social media than I’d like to, […]
The Gloria Sirens 