Here is my personal space, the quiet place I come to think, to feel the breezes, and watch the flowers, insects and birds. The leaves rustle above me, giving dancing, flickering shade, and whispering louder to me when the wind blows harder. I imagine there is a wily old bowfin lurking somewhere in the weeds, remembering the days when bowfins and dinosaurs were common, and the ancestors of the redwings snatched dragonflies from the air in their toothed jaws.

These are poems and writings that try to preserve in words those images in my mind of things and moments I love, and that make me feel alive. Even fears make me feel alive, because they remind me of what can be lost. They remind me of how much I don't control in life, though I can capture some of them and hold them for a while in my words. Sometimes that makes them less dreadful, but not always.

In early 2008 I joined the Saltwater Writers group at the Saltwater Unitarian Church in Des Moines, Washington. Roughly a dozen writers meet each week to do a writing exercise and share whatever they are working on. We provide feedback and suggestions, if they are requested, and encourage and support each other in our writing, whatever form it takes. I have been very encouraged by their reactions to my poetry, and have written many new pieces (most of it poetry) that I am including under the Saltwater Writers link.

On Febrary 27, 2013 I published a collection of 196 pieces, including most of the things here, in a 262 page book called "Day Stew". Click on the banner at the top of this page to see a description and cover picture from "Day Stew". From there you can link to createspace.com to see a description and to order the book, if you are interested.

I hope that you can enjoy some of these word-pictures, by spending some time here.