In this newsletter:
My newest poem “Prayer”
PAX Fellowship Emerging Writers Cohort
What I’m Reading
New Poem: “Prayer”
I wrote this poem three years ago inspired by a simple moment with my daughter. Ekstasis Magazine published it earlier this week (yep, publishing = patience!). You can read the poem below this painting by Makoto Fujimura.
Prayer
You came unexpectedly,
leaving your siblings playing
in the Chinese garden,
to visit me
in the shade of the wooden pavilion.
Without a word, you sat beside me
on the weathered bench,
scooched closer as I smiled at you,
then, without warning,
flopped fully across my lap.
You stayed there, draped over my knees
in your strawberry dress
as my daddy-hand caressed your back,
the span of it covering you
for those sweet seconds
until you left, without a word,
dancing.
PAX Fellowship Emerging Writers Cohort
Starting this Fall, I will be co-leading the PAX Fellowship’s 2024-2025 Emerging Writers Cohort, one of ten different cohorts offered for young adults of color. Please help spread the word to anyone who might be interested — and/or join us yourself!
What is the PAX Fellowship? A seven-month fellowship of virtual sessions that includes teaching, discussion, mentorship, spiritual direction, contemplative practices, and community building for peace and justice.
Who is it for? Adults of color, ages 25-35, who seek teaching, mentorship, networking, and community around vocational development and contemplative formation.
Dates: Virtual gatherings from September 10, 2024 to March 18, 2025, twice a month for the duration of the program. Break during December.
Tuition: $150 payment due within 7 days of application. (This low cost has been heavily subsidized by donors and grants.)
Other tracks include Poetry with Arielle Estoria, Intermediate Writers with Dominique Gilliard, and Worship Leaders with Danielle Johnson.
Learn more and apply at madeforpax.org/fellowship, or feel free to comment or contact me with any questions!
What I’m Reading
I always love a good reading recommendation. Here are a few I’ve enjoyed lately:
Chanté Griffin’s Loving Your Black Neighbor As Yourself just dropped this week. It’s an informative and spiritually formative book on race. Highly recommended!
Abram Van Engen, in his essay “Doing Theology with Poetry,” guides us through a classic poem and offers profound insights into how poetry does theology well.
Art & Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking by David Bayles and Ted Orland may be two decades old, but you’d think it came out yesterday based on how much my artist friends and I keep talking about it.
That’s all for this time. Thanks for reading!