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.
Lineage
In her poem “Lineage,” Jaime Schaffer sighs relief among the oak leaves, reminding us that redemption is coming.
A New Moon and Other Poems
Follow Lee Kiblinger to the moon and through the trees in “A New Moon” and “A Mast Year.”
Ode to the Great Heron Who Waits
In her poem, “Ode to the Great Heron Who Waits,” Lisa M. Johnson paints a beautiful reminder of rest.
September
James Jewell articulates what many of us have experienced when trying to describe the beauty of the world around us in his poem “September.”
Not Just a Waterfall
In her poem “Not Just a Waterfall,” Janice M. Gibson shares the majestic beauty she encountered, awakening her soul.
The Winding Woods
In her poem “The Winding Woods,” Amorina Galindo depicts the goodness of God’s peace and delight.
FEATURED: Absolution and Other Poems
Award-winning poet Nicholas Trandahl writes about memories, suffering, and the yearning for a renaissance in his poems “Absolution” and “Grand Canyon.”
FEATURED: Anemone Blue and Other Poems
Kristine Amundrud writes an anthem of revival and renewal in “Anemone Blue” and reminds us of spring’s new life brimming beneath the surface in her poem “True Leaves.”
FEATURED: Wayfinding in Spring and Other Poems
In her garden-inspired poems, author Jody Collins prayerfully meditates about the deepest themes of life: what it is to become, heal, and know.
FEATURED: Flowers in My Belly and Other Poems
Deidre Braley, writes about nature, love, longing, and faith in her divine poems “Flowers in My Belly” and “Dark Night of the Soul at Dawn.”
FEATURED: Spring Stirring
From gnarled trees to the farmer’s steaming coffee, Mary Folkerts gives her readers imagery in “Spring Stirring” that walks from the despair of death to the first hope of new life.
FEATURED: A Thousand Wild Tomorrows
Edward L. Holmes II beautifully articulates the journey we take to embrace the wilderness inside each of us with audacious hope and energy in his verse.
FEATURED: For All the Mothering Trees
In her poem “All the Mothering Trees,” Tasha Jun’s beautiful imagery of nature reminds us of the new life that comes in the wake of the changing seasons.
FEATURED: The Shape of Mountains and Other Poems
Kate Lab writes about renewal, faith, and the power of nature in “The Shape of Mountains” and her other imagistic and moving poems.
FEATURED: Ninth-Circlers: A Modern Sonnet
In his haunting poem “Ninth-Circlers,” Zachary Bartles harnesses the sonnet form to meditate on his Inferno-esque themed poem, which is a true modern feat made in homage to the Renaissance.
Martyrpiece and Other Poems
Courtney Moody writes about the laborious sacrifice of the artist’s work, the pain required to grow, and the beauty of a new age of renaissance in her trio of poems.
In the Kitchen on Ash Wednesday and Other Poems
Through the lens of the seemingly mundane, Katie Drobina eloquently reminds us of the hope we have in her poems “In the Kitchen on Ash Wednesday” and “Birdsong.”
Dandelion in February and Other Poems
In “Dandelion in February,” Elizabeth Houseman recognizes those who truly see others and make them feel like they belong. “The Woman I Am” is both lament and anthem for accepting the path before you, even when it looks different than you imagined.
The Mother Tree and Other Poems
In her maternal poetry, Chelsea Fraser mediates on motherhood, life, anticipation, and wholeness in her nature and literature-inspired work.
Light Spill and Other Poems
In her trio of poems, Alexis Ragan celebrates life, light, spring, and the beauty of second chances after a dark season in her life.
Start your journey.
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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