Poetry for life.
In this age of artificial intelligence, we cannot forget that poetry and love are necessary to save our humanity.
–Pope Francis, Dilexit Nos
Hello, Poetry Friend. You are, in the words of poet George Herbert, “A guest […] worthy to be here.” Welcome to Poetry for life, a gathering of folks who love words.
There is nothing artificial about good poetry. It’s True, whether factual or not. Good, even when it touches the hard. And Beautiful—the best of this earth and a sparkle of the best yet to be imagined.
But this place is not only for the poetry-lovers. It’s also for the poetry-averse, the poetry-hesitant, the poetry-confused. Because the Bible is full of poetry. There are poems from the prophets and songs in the histories. There is Psalms, the hymbook and prayerbook of the church. And there is Song of Solomon, with love poetry that makes us blush.
Poetry. Joy.
Whenever I ponder, it veers into poetry. The way I relate to the world is through poetry. So I write poems and share them here.
I also share poems by others, because good poetry makes a good life. I cannot make you love, cannot save you from fear and hate and even despair. But I can point you to poetry and show you how to let its coals kindle love.
Poetry gives me joy. I hope the time you spend here will bring joy to your writing life. That you will read more poems and write more poems. That your one wild and precious red teacup will be a vessel right-sized for your words in this world.
My name is Megan Willome. I’m a poet, soprano, journalist, and author of Love and other Mysteries, a poetry collection from Wipf and Stock. It includes love poems inspired by the biblical text, Song of Solomon, and poems that embrace life’s mysterious turns to the click of Rosary beads, round and round the four Mysteries: Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious.
I’m also the author of Rainbow Crow, a picture book of form poems, and The Joy of Poetry, a memoir about losing my mom and finding poetry. I’ve also written a poetry-adjacent edition of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (with original illustraions!). And I also have a little ebook titled Reading the Yellow Wall-Paper Graphic Novel that uses Emily Dickinson’s poems as a guide to Charlotte Perkins Gillman’s classic story.
My home is in the Texas Hill Country, and my day is incomplete without poetry, tea, a song, and a walk in the dark.
More poetry. More joy.
Poetry for life posts on Wednesdays, if not more often. Paid subscribers receive extra poetry goodness—including a poetry post and poem just for them.
Happy poeming!
Megan
What’s up with the red teacups? I like coffee!
Confession: My day begins with coffee. But tea is what I drink when I write. I can’t write poetry without it.
My website logo is a leaning stack of red teacups because I drink a lot (a lot!) of tea. I don’t use fancy china, and I’m not precious about what’s in my cup. I’m as happy with a teabag as with a fine loose tea. And I love me a big ol’ cup of iced tea, heavily citrused.
Most of all, tea reminds me of my mom.
“I drink tea because of my mother. She had a tea drawer; I have a tea cabinet. Nothing makes me happier than when a friend sends a single teabag in the mail. If Mom were to see my blog, how the entire theme is red teacups, I think she’d take credit.”
Hey, Mom. Look what you helped make.
