Fingers interlocked like a beautiful accordion of flesh or a zipper of prayer.
There are parts of me I only recognize from photographs.
It does not matter how strong your gravity is, we were always meant to fly.
I use poetry to help me work through what I don’t understand, but I show up to each new poem with a backpack full of everywhere else that I’ve been.
Ever hear that expression, “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times”? That’s what high school was like for me. Both of those – all the time.
Forgive yourself for the decisions you have made, the ones you still call mistakes when you tuck them in at night.
You are not made of metaphors, Not apologies, not excuses.
Every moment I choose to write about is one I have deemed important enough to dwell inside of and share with others. I am holding this moment up to the light and saying, “Wow, will you look at that?”
One thing that I believe is that every time I write something, I am taking the time to celebrate. Even if I am writing a sad story or an angry poem, I am still giving those stories my time and attention.
Not all poetry wants to be storytelling. And not all storytelling wants to be poetry. But great storytellers and great poets share something in common: They had something to say, and did.
Remember that good things come in threes and so do bad things. Always apologize when you’ve done something wrong, but don’t you ever apologize for the way your eyes refuse to stop shining.
I think there is a human instinct to tell stories, no matter who you are or where you live.
I love books that create worlds for me that I don’t want to leave. I recently lost my entire life to Haruki Murakami – 1Q84. I tell people that book ruined my life in the best possible way. I couldn’t think of anything else for weeks after I read it.
My self-confidence can be measured out in teaspoons mixed into my poetry, and it still always tastes funny in my mouth.
It’s not just the adage ‘write what you know,’ it’s about gathering up all of the knowledge and experience you’ve collected up to now to help you dive into the things you don’t know.
I often tell people to stop being afraid of writing bad poetry, or bad anything. I think that a lot of times, when people claim that they have writer’s block, or that they get stuck, it’s just because they’re scared of writing bad things.
Nothing is as universal as some good scatalogical humor. Even if it means having to be a little silly or cheeky, I think it is worth it.
One of my highest priorities as an educator is to be as inclusive as possible.
Most days it feels as if the world is whirling around me and I am standing still. In slow motion, I watch the colors blur; people and faces all become a massive wash.
Poetry is like a puzzle-solving strategy for me. I like to poem my way through tricky questions and ideas. That’s about the only consistent thread through my poem-creation process.