There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal. -- Toni Morrison This quote by Toni Morrison, one of my favorite, popped up in my Instagram timeline this morning. When I read it, tears … Continue reading I have no words… so I write
Healing
Let the river take me: Learnings from facilitating an at-risk group
I originally wrote this article for Chrysalis, The Journal of Transformative Language Arts (which is currently under maintenance), April 2016 Let the river take me, a compilation poem Let the river take me — Even when it hurts, it breathes with the joy of laughter, undulating. I choke on life, I’m really here in the world. I … Continue reading Let the river take me: Learnings from facilitating an at-risk group
It is nothing but the first
This is one poem in a series from the “Write to Recover” group I facilitate. I put them together from phrases that resonate with me while participants read. I add nothing but punctuation and the occasional conjunction. This one is comprised of the words of three participants who were writing on the prompt, "A gift..." … Continue reading It is nothing but the first
Happeningness
This is one poem in a series from the “Write to Recover” group I facilitate. I put them together from phrases that resonate with me while participants read. I add nothing but punctuation and the occasional conjunction. This one is comprised of the words of three participants who were writing on the prompt, “This I … Continue reading Happeningness
Authentic Voice Project (revisited)
This is the first of series I started five years ago (to the day). A lot has changed for me personally and in the world since I wrote these posts, so I'm curious and excited to re-visit them. For redefinition, I was thrown back to myself, to my inner knowing… Marilyn Sewell, Cries of the … Continue reading Authentic Voice Project (revisited)
This is not a political post, it is a processing of grief
This morning I woke to find that the nightmare developing when I finally went to bed at 1AM, the one where the map turned increasingly red, was real. I immediately broke down sobbing. I haven't really stopped since. My children have never seen me like this; it scared them. I tried to gain control of … Continue reading This is not a political post, it is a processing of grief
The next right thing
This poem is the twelfth in a series of poems from the “Write to Recover” group I facilitate. I put them together from phrases that resonate with me while participants read. I add nothing but punctuation and the occasional conjunction. This one is comprised of the words of five participants who were writing on the … Continue reading The next right thing
I took one step…
These two poems are from a series of poems from the “Write to Recover” group I facilitate. I put them together from phrases that resonate with me while participants read. I add nothing but punctuation and the occasional conjunction. This one is comprised of the words of four participants who were writing on the prompt, … Continue reading I took one step…
I am alive and not ashes in the ground
This the ninth in a series of poems from the “Write to Recover” group I facilitate. I put them together from phrases that resonate with me while participants read. I add nothing but punctuation and the occasional conjunction. This one is comprised of the words of four participants who were writing on the prompt, “To … Continue reading I am alive and not ashes in the ground
I’m strong enough to live through hell
This the eighth in a series of poems from the “Write to Recover” group I facilitate. I put them together from phrases that resonate with me while participants read. I add nothing but punctuation and the occasional conjunction. This one is comprised of the words of seven participants who were writing on the prompt, "I … Continue reading I’m strong enough to live through hell
joanna tebbs young 