Directed Contemplative Writing—a variation on free writing

I’ve started a new writing project—working with my longtime friend and writing colleague, Stephanie Farrow who lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In the last weeks we’ve developed a way of working which I’m analyzing into steps below in hopes it might help those writers among Riehlife’s readers. [Note: This is filed in the Write, Pen!…

Riehlife Poems of the Day: “Through a Glass, Darkly” & “Defending Poetry, etc.”

Riehlife National Poetry Month Editor Stephanie Farrow writes: Dear Friends, It has been such a treat to share poetry during this past month. Thank you all for participating! Because today is the last day, I’d thought initially that the final poem should be deep and meaningful, inscrutable perhaps and profound—something along the lines of what…

Riehlife Poems of the Day from Ghana: “Sankofa: Adinkra Poems” by A. Kayper-Mensah

Riehlife’s April poetry editor for National Poetry Month Stephanie Farrow is a fine poet in her own right and a close friend since we served in Peace Corps Ghana in the 1970s. Stephanie selected these Adinkra poems by A. Kayper-Mensah (Sankofa: Adinkra Poems) Stephanie tells us: Adinkra symbols are pictographs that reflect a specific proverb…

Riehlife April Poetry Month begins with “Introduction to Poetry,” by Billy Collins

My friend Stephanie Farrow, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is our Poetry Editor for April. She writes: It’s April 1, which means it’s the first day of National Poetry Month—no fooling! Being a certified PL (Poetry Lover), I’m celebrating the occasion by selecting one poem to share every day this month. Some will be sad, some…