I Stop Writing the Poem by Tess Gallagher I stop writing the poem to fold the clothes. No matter who lives or who dies, I am still a woman. I’ll always have plenty to do. I bring the arms of his shirt together. Nothing can stop our tenderness. I’ll get back to the poem. I’ll [...]

There is a poem that has been on my mind continually these days, called “Tripping over Joy.” I think of this poem when I contemplate the new building we have rented for our church (pictured above). It is a wonderful space–ideally suited to our needs. The caretaker who lives in the house says “It just [...]

It’s been a long time since I’ve managed to post, or to write anything at all for that matter. I would like to say that I have been hiding behind the endless mountains of unfolded laundry or the dishes stacked in the sink, or that the work of being up with sick children night after [...]

When I called my friend Rachel today, she said, “I am staying with your friends the Maddexes.” You might (or might not depending on how well you know me) be surprised to hear that at that simple statement I burst into tears. Rachel doesn’t really know the Maddex family. She was picked up from the [...]

I learned of the death of Adrian before we knew he is was a boy, while he was still unnamed and waiting in the dark waters of Paige’s womb. I got the email from Paige’s sister-in-law Molly, on my iPhone while I was sitting in a parking lot. I cried off and on the entire [...]