Songs in the Gate: Poems from the Borderland of Now and Not Yet

Standing in the gate between what is and what could be . . .

These poems flow out of the "in-between times", looking back to what brought us here and ahead to where the road may lead, and meditating on the rich lessons to be learned in such seasons of active waiting. The collection chronicles a journey through different chapters of wonder, expectancy, longing, disappointment, joy, discouragement, darkness . . . and, through it all, the complicated ongoing relationship...
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Standing in the gate between what is and what could be . . .

These poems flow out of the "in-between times", looking back to what brought us here and ahead to where the road may lead, and meditating on the rich lessons to be learned in such seasons of active waiting. The collection chronicles a journey through different chapters of wonder, expectancy, longing, disappointment, joy, discouragement, darkness . . . and, through it all, the complicated ongoing relationship with that discomfiting but fiercely faithful friend called Hope: always just on the other side of the gate, always beckoning us onwards, and never letting us slip into the uncomfortable apathy of despair. From "free verse" to "holy sonnets", from Valentine's Day to Advent, from oceanside musings to the long narrative poem "The Witch of Hampstead Heath", this wide array of poetry has something for everyone - even if you don't like poetry!

Interview with the Author

Q: Why poetry?
A: I love words, and poetry could be described as the art of crafting words into the most pleasing order. It's not just what you say, but how you're saying it, and each poem is an opportunity to say it better and more beautifully. Poetry is at once a release and a discipline, providing both an outlet for strong feeling or deep contemplation and also an exercise in wordsmithery. I guess the real question is, "Why NOT poetry?"

Q: How did you get started writing poetry?
A: To quote Jane Austen in that immortal work, Pride & Prejudice, "I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun." I remember scribbling nonsensical or fanciful rhymes throughout childhood, but the first poem I consciously set out to write was "Reverie", the second poem in this collection. I was sixteen, visiting Cape Ann in Massachusetts on vacation. Standing there, beholding a scene of such wild natural beauty, I felt a familiar ache rising within me - what C. S. Lewis calls "Joy". There, for the first time, I felt the ache forming itself into words, and the words cried out to be written down. I found that I was writing a poem - and, even more surprising, I found that I liked it. I have been giving way to the poetic muse at frequent intervals ever since.

Q: What if I don't like poetry?
A: "I don't normally like poetry, but I like yours." I've received that compliment several times, but it never gets old! I am delighted that people can have a "fresh start" with poetry through my work. This collection also has a wide variety of styles and themes, so there really is something for everyone!