The Fall Collection: TO THE MOUNTAINS
MASTHEAD
Sarah Steele, senior editor
Ashley Whittemore, editor
Kimberly Kralovic, editor
Heather Lobe Johnson, editor
Kimberly Phinney, editor-in-chief
Listen to the poets of The Way Back to Ourselves Literary Journal perform their work with our podcast, The Poetry Corner, a spin-off from The Way Back Podcast, hosted by Edward Holmes and Deidre Braley.
I Stay and Other Poems
In her poetry, Julie Priebbenow writes about the complexities of life and death and her ultimate choice of faith over suffering.
On First Reading Mary Oliver at The Sourwood Inn and Other Poems
In her poetry, Kimberly Phinney celebrates poetry, nature, and God’s provisions through romantic verse and imagery.
The Orange Tree
In her poem “The Orange Tree,” Tiana Minks uses the evocative metaphor of an orange tree to communicate the human experience of depression in light of a God who saves.
The River in Us and Other Poems
In her poems, Sarah Spradlin searches for and finds ultimate peace and hope through her faith and the majestic nature that surrounds her.
Road Trip and Other Poems
In her poems, Ann Iverson explores various reflections on life through whimsy and stunning nature imagery.
From Life to Death to Life and Other Poems
In her poetry, Sarah Steele writes about revival, prayer, and journeys through evocative nature and color imagery.
Mother
In her poem “Mother,” Laurie Widmer Hess explores the spiritual complexities of motherhood.
Rekindled
In her poem “Rekindled,” Stephanie Nygaard captures God’s delivery and light in a season of difficulty.
Mountain Laurel Living
In her poem “Mountain Laurel Living,” Bethany Peck writes about loss, suffering, and faith through the metaphor of the Mountain Laurel.
Cat Nap Revival and Other Poems
In her poetry, Elizabeth Hudgens writes about longing, perseverance, and revival through creative metaphors.
His Majesty on Display and Other Poems
In her poems, Pat Severin mediates on God’s majesty through the vast beauty of nature.
Holy Spirit, Help
Nathaniel Evans poem, “Holy Spirit, Help,” reads like a fervent prayer, as he asks God’s Holy Spirit to help him through his faith walk and the difficulties of this life.
Winter Morning on the Wyoming Border (Pushcart Nominated)
In his poem “Winter Morning on the Wyoming Border,” Nicholas Trandahl praises the river while camping, as he meditates on its raw beauty and the natural cycles of God’s divine order.
A Brutal Love
In “A Brutal Love,” poet Kimberly Phinney writes about her harrowing journey through severe illness and the spiritual epiphany she experienced in her garden that helped bring her back to life.
Grizzly Bear Creek
In his poem “Grizzly Bear Creek,” poet Nicholas Trandahl’s respite after a hike becomes a song for October in the wilderness, as he observes all of God’s creation—large and small.
Sight + Sound
In her poem “Sight + Sound,” Clare Weigel takes her readers on an emotional journey, as she grapples with the difficulties and blessings of experiencing life as a woman who is deafblind.
Hermitage
In his poem “Hermitage,” poet Nicholas Trandahl’s imagines the quiet lives of sacred men and their ancient acts of friendship and contemplation.
Willow and Other Poems
In her delightful poems “Willow,” “Paper Hearts,” and “Mundane,” artist and writer Danielle Robbins mediates on the quiet life and her path toward self-compassion and peace.
Haikus for Hadley
In “Haikus for Hadley,” poet Kimberly Phinney teams up with her young daughter to write four heartwarming haikus about motherhood and longing through infertility.
Moonbeam Benediction
In “Moonbeam Benediction,” poet Stephanie Nygaard writes about the pain of sleepless nights and worry and how God’s assuring presence greets her in the darkness.
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It starts today— in the small steps you take, the hands you hold, the prayers you say, the art you make, and the hard things you conquer… The way back isn’t as far as you think.
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