
THE WAY BACK TO OURSELVES
Community Literary Journal
THE WAY BACK TO OURSELVES PRESENTS:
THE SPRING COLLECTION: IN HIS GARDEN
coming in April…
The Spring Collection: IN HIS GARDEN Print Journal Coming in May 2025
The Way Back to Ourselves is proud to present our FIRST print journal arriving in May 2025. Enjoy the free digital collection in this stunning keepsake for purchase on Amazon in paperback and hardcover from The Way Back Books, an imprint of TheWayBack2Ourselves.com.
Listen to the poets of The Way Back to Ourselves Literary Journal perform their work with our NEW podcast, The Poetry Corner, a spin-off from The Way Back Podcast, hosted by Edward Holmes and Deidre Braley.

Song of the Branch
In her poem “Song of the Branch,” Christina Moore expresses her love and devotion, clinging to what satisfies her soul.

Hallowed is the Breaking and Other Poems
In her lovely poem “Hallowed is the Breaking,” Rachel Lynne Sakashita ponders the ferocity and necessity of rain and its power to both create and destroy. In “Delight is a Barefoot Sprint,” she draws us into the joyful complexity of delight in the face of nature’s many uncertainties.

Let Me Be Loved and Other Poems
Bethany Peck finds peace in her Father’s presence in her poems “Let Me Be Loved” and “The Garden Within.”

Mary, Do You Know?
Aaron Hann takes notice of a little Greek word and wonders what made Mary turn around in “Mary, Do You Know?”

This Side of Heaven and Other Poems
In “This Side of Heaven,” Anokina Shahbaz reflects on the Garden of Eden that once was and the world in which we find ourselves and how we dwell in the tension of the broken and beautiful. In her poem “How We Arrive at Surrender,” she reminds us that it is in the brokenness of surrender that new life breaks forth.

The Grave and Other Poems
In “The Grave” and “River,” Zane Paxton finds renewal and resurrection.

Out of the Snow Dust
In her essay “Out of the Snow Dust,” Ruth Braun recounts her personal story of hope despite life not going as planned.

Superbloom
In “Superbloom,” Brit McReynolds colors the desert landscape, weaving beauty and endurance in the wastelands.

Flowering Benedictions
Kellie Brown meets the memory of her beloved grandmother in the garden in her poem “Flowering Benedictions.”

The Fragrance of God
Young Woong Yi’s unique photography captures the essence of “The Fragrance of God.”

Our Overstory
In “Our Overstory,” Lee Kiblinger reminds us that our stories intertwine as one.

Thorns and Rose and Other Poems
Christel Jeffs mediates on the necessity of beauty and suffering and how it brings us closer to Christ in her poems “Thorns and Rose” and “Gethsemane Ground.”

You Spoke My Name
In her poem, “You Spoke My Name,” Kristi Clark walks through the lives of three women and how Jesus spoke to each one directly, just as he does with you.

Rooted in the Garden and Other Poems
Elizabeth Houseman digs down deep into the garden of her pain, as she finds healing and holiness in the hard places with her poems “Rooted in the Garden” and “Heavenly Healing, Earthly Bodies.”

Plant / Yield / Glean (Tanka Triptych)
In her three-poem tanka triptych entitled “Plant / Yield / Glean,” Lisa explores a series of former beliefs with her new understandings.

In the Land of the Living
In her poem “In the Land of the Living,” Charis Crandall depicts God's intended goodness in the garden of Eden and contrasts it with the fallen nature of the world.

Eden’s Beauty Restored
In her essay, “Eden’s Beauty Restored,” Donna Bucher learns about what God can do with our “wastelands” in a most surprising place. Her photography demonstrates the beauty found in God’s gardens.

Perennial Love
In “Perennial Love,” Taylor Blayse longs for the hope of spring gardens and finds a deep hope in the presence of the cardinal.

Under Winter’s Wings and Other Poems
Sheila Dougal takes us deep into the earth with her poignant imagery in “Under Winter’s Wings,” “Consider the Snow Pea,” and “Gardener God.”

Grafted
In her poem, “Grafted,” Suzanna Gillette becomes part of the garden her good Gardener is tending to, as she learns to trust in him.
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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