Poetry and Soul

Looking to art to save us in these gloomy times

I have been paralyzed, unable to write a Substack for the past week because two dear friends of mine have recently released poetry collections and I promised to review them here, and I got so worried about not doing the books justice that I was unable to write anything at all. I know this is ridiculous, but I also (mercifully) know all of you reading this can relate to that perfectionist paralysis.

The first poetry collection is by a friend of mine since grade school who just released her first book, Beautiful Late Bloomer: Passionate Poetry and Mystic Musings, at the age of 60. I love her bright, colorful cover, which charmingly encapsulates the joy of the poetry within.

Sage is a spiritual teacher and many of her poems are mini-sermons, presented playfully and with love. For example,

FIRST WORDS

Let your first words
from pen and lips
be: “Thank you”
be: “I love you”
be: “I am blessed.”

The day embraces you
as you embrace the day.

The book is divided into three sections, Blessing, Blooming, and Blissing, and is the first in a planned series of Yoni-Verse books. Here is the five-star review I gave this book on Amazon, where you can also order the ebook:

Playful, poetic lessons in life and love
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2026
Format: Paperback

Spiritual seekers and lovers of life, nature, and sacred passion, will be deeply moved by the lush, lyrical masterworks in this collection. Mystical and mesmeric, spiritual and sexy, playful and powerful, mature and layered with meaning, feminist and fiery, this poetry book has a delightful poem for every mood. These are poems you will want to share with loved ones as gifts or to offer comfort, or even to read aloud at a special event (the rhymes and wordplay make these poems fun to read aloud and share)--but your first gift will be to yourself when you buy this beautiful book.

The book is split into three sections--Blessing, Blooming, Blissing-- but in all of them, this poet is part preacher. She has a clear message to share with readers about self love, inner strength, and embracing celebration at every opportunity. Enjoy the lovely lessons here!

Here is one more of Sage’s fun but meaningful poems:

The second collection is by a writer friend I made in adulthood back in the Hudson Valley, Elizabeth Cunningham, who wrote a series of novels about Mary Magdelene called The Maeve Chronicles and has released several poetry collections, with her latest, Holding Our Brokenness, gathering up all her favorites plus offering some new ones. The poems in this collection are accessible and haunting. Here’s my favorite/the one that most arrested me:

FAILED GODS

All parents are failed gods.
They do not keept the world safe.
They do not deliver happiness.

They throw their children out of Eden
to cover their own shame.

They grow old and frail.
Sometimes they are forgiven.

I have dog-eared many pages in this collection of profound, gorgeous work. Cunningham writes in form and in free verse, sharing villanelles alongside sonnets and haiku. She speaks from a place of wisdom, reflecting on what a lifetime of worshipping nature and embracing love has taught her. Here are a couple more of her poems:

HANDS OF

god has hands, as in, we are in the hands of
god has a potter wheel and handles us as clay
sometimes in rage smashing the clay on the wheel.
pray there is also kindness in that god’s hand

the fates, all three, or however many there are, have hands
they weave with them, and when they must, snip, snip
do they use scissors or just hands to snap
the thread that’s done, hands to tie it off

someone’s hands knead the opening to the world
catch the baby, pull her from water into air.
the mother holds her baby, strokes, with her hand, the cheek
counts the toes, wipes away all the tears

someone’s hand holds the hand of the dying one
someone’s hands wash the body while still warm
before it cools to clay that can no longer
be worked by anyone’s hand, not even god’s

IF SOMETHING GIVES YOU JOY

…say thank you
do not maunder on
about unworthiness
undeserving.

of course you do not
deserve good fortune
anymore than anyone
deserves ill fortune.

dessert is something sweet
to be savored.

cause and effect are real
but grace is always amazing.
there is no accountant
in the sky or under the earth,
just a tangled weave
too brilliant for you to see.

justice is something you must
love and labor for,
just because.

when injustice prevails
do not beat your breast.
just stand, like all living things
grass and trees, even if
you are laid low
or broken.

you don’t deserve to suffer
either.

This is her bio: Elizabeth Cunningham is the author of ten novels, including The Maeve Chronicles, and most recently Over the Edge of the World. Her new poem collection Holding Our Brokenness, a gathering of poems, includes selections from her four earlier collections as well as new poems. You can purchase Holding Our Brokenness at bookshop.org or at any online purveyor of books. You can also order the book through your local independent bookstores. There are purchase links to all Elizabeth’s books on her website. https://elizabethcunninghamwrites.com/

While I’m writing, but on this same theme, I must share that Renee and I just enjoyed the delightful, moving, animated Pixar film Soul, which you can stream on Hulu. We went into the film blind, which caused Renee to shout out “But I don’t want him to be dead!” at one of the main characters. (She really likes her books and movies to not only have happy endings, but happy beginnings and middles, too.) The movie is a beautiful reflection on what really matters in making a life.

And speaking of that, Renee also read The Correspondent so she, too, can take part in our inaugural book club for paid subscribers, which is happening this coming Sunday, March 8th, at 2 p.m. EST. If you haven’t read the book yet, there’s still time; Renee, who does not consider herself a fast reader, finished it in one day. If you are not a paid subscriber and can’t afford the $5 monthly fee to join, please dm me and I will be glad to let you join our book discussion. I’m so excited to talk about this excellent book with all of you!

I have lots of catching up to do from this last paralyzed week, but for now I must go nanny. (Joy!) Please let me know what you’ve been consuming.