The Dirty 30/30

30 poems in 30 days. That's the challenge, to write a poem a day for 30 days. There is an actual movement where you can sign up to get poetry prompts, but I decided to just freestyle. I am writing to you from day 14 and so far I have written at least one poem a day, sometimes more. The key is not to think too much about it. It's not about that edited, perfectly polished piece of work, it's about that raw expression of whatever is on your mind. So far it's been really fun. I like having an excuse to write. If you want to follow along, then like my book page on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/God-Hair-Love-and-America/270627429724844. I post my poetry each day as I write....so you get it fresh. And feel free to comment or ask questions.  

Please Join Me For SING: This Saturday!

SpiritVision is presenting a new SING!

Concert on Saturday, May 11, 2013 at 7 PM, hosted by St Lukes Lutheran Church in Bellevue.

SING! is about individuals from a wide variety of spiritual communities coming together and celebrating Spirit in the form of ‘Deeply Rhythmic Music’ and this year. We feature choirs and choral groups such as Spirit of the Sound Community Choir, Amor Singers, and Liberation Choir. This year, we are also featuring Sacred Dance.

Our pre-concert reception will be 5 – 7 pm and will include reflective time to walk the Rainbow Labyrinth, networking of several sponsor organizations, a youth-focused Poetry presentation and Drumming.

Another major feature in this year’s SING! event is the recent release of Rev Allen Mosley’s book, ‘Finding The Joy In Cancer’ and opportunity to hear highlights of his story and obtain an autographed copy. I will also be reading from my books God, Hair, Love, and America and Love and Guatemala and copies will be available for purchase.

Most significant is the connections made between individuals and groups that might not otherwise find reason to come together, and the friendships formed build bridges that continue to connect us for months and years beyond. Come and be part of this incredible spiritual ‘tribal’ gathering where our common ground is Love and ‘Deeply Rhythmic Music.’

All are welcome!

LOVE: Put it in a letter

I got my first love letter in the fourth grade. It was written in red crayon and compared my skin to a churchy cookie. I still don’t know what that means, but I was very flattered and a bit disappointed as I got older and love letters became less common. Love email or love texts are just not the same. I confess I am a bit ridiculous when it comes to romance. I want champagne and chocolate, and Bollywood musical moments. I want to be serenaded by roving choirs (this did happen once during Carnival in Spain and it was very cool). Wine and dine me damn it! I’m talking hand holding in parks, picnics by fountains, Prince concert tickets, the whole shebang. And yes, I want love letters, lots of them, written in purple ink and scented with cologne. We can put this on the long list of unrealistic expectations I have about love, which is an entirely separate blog post.


On the first Sunday of every month I host a group called the Soul Writers. It’s from 12:30-2:00PM at 2528 Beacon Ave S in Seattle, WA for those of you who happen to be out my way. The purpose of the group is for those of us who love to write, but have let life get in the way of that love, to have a space to reconnect with writing. We write, we share, then we project plan, so we can start making progress on our writing goals. This last meeting I decided that I was tired of looking in my mail box and finding credit card applications where love letters should be. So our free write prompt was to write a love letter to ourselves.

I had never done this before, but it was a pretty awesome experience. I should have done this years ago. I mean who knows me better than me? I recommend you try it for yourself. In the meantime, feel free to borrow my letter until you find the words you most need to hear.

Dear _____________,

You are awesome! (And not because anyone else said so.) Whatever other people say or do, however they choose to see you, is their business and has nothing to do with you or your awesomeness. You are not diminished by their opinions or perspectives unless you choose to be. You have made that choice several times before, but that was then and you live in the now of your own choosing and what you are choosing is brilliant.

You are co-creating the life of your dreams! You make choices and when you don’t like the results, you change your choices. The soul of you is a lover, a traveler, an adventurous smiling peace. You are beautiful. Beauty flows through your actions and intentions. You are love. Love and light guide your every step. The lessons aren’t easy, but they aren’t always hell either. You are a miracle, your every success, your every failure a victory, because you did it.

Everything you pray for is possible. Every prayer is answered and the answer is always yes. What do you want to say yes to today? What would you like your lived experience to manifest?You have lived in lack and sorrow and never enough. Is it time now? Are you ready for more and more? For joy and abundance, for always more than enough? Because I love you this much. Are you ready to receive it? Simply breathe peace, simply open up into yourself and claim the goodness that is waiting there to unfold.

You are so loved. I love you. You are so held. I hold you. You are perfect and complete as you are and as you ever will be. You are my beloved. I cherish, honor, and care for you. You are the heart of my heart, the soul of my soul, my forever companion, my best friend, my light, my life, my joy, my passion, my peace, myself. I love you.