About Paul

For most of my adult life, I’ve had a habit of writing poetry. Most of it is on this site. I want to write as much poetry as I can with the time I have left, because it’s one of the few things I’ve ever been good at. And I like doing the things I’m good at.

I also like the idea of someone, somewhere reading it and finding it comforting.

Before I go any further, you’re probably wondering if I’ve got the goods. I don’t blame you. Poetry as an art is disproportionately shitty – even more so with poetry published on the internet.

So, here’s five selected poems I’ve written that I think you’ll find not shitty – possibly even moving. 

1. A poem about the sexuality and religious belief of Mary and Joseph for Christmas 
2. A poem written to my son when he started dancing in the water near Pensacola, FL
3. A love sonnet about an ant bait station that doesn’t know it’s killing ants
4. A poem about the existential crisis I think we can all relate to when we look at a palmetto weevil
5. A poem pleading for the lives of dollar weeds everywhere

A couple of years ago, I began a stint writing little “psalms” due to their prayer-like format. I’m not religious now, but I grew up in the church and always loved the Psalms for their raw honesty and the way they always seemed to befuddle the pastors brave enough to preach from them.

Here’s the five from that series my readers like:

1. Let My Heavy Eyes Open Wider
2. Let Us Live Our Lives in Heat
3. Let Us Go Into Ourselves With Great Tenderness
4. Let Us Resist Together the Ones
5. Let Us Find In One Another The Courage

There you have it. It may not be much for the New Yorker crowd, but my hope is they are more comforting and visceral for us commoners just trying to get by. If you’re interested in staying abreast of my writing, please consider subscribing to my newsletter.