Our Home

Our home was warm in the shade of the trees or when the sun was not upon it.

It was built on the side of a hill, near a lake where spirits could be free.

On the warm porch ? hummingbirds watched, from branches where they sit, and the cat and the dog lay sunning, as we read ? nestled very closely.

It was made of dark wood and of brick, had green shutters and was designed by our father: as a place to come to rest after a day, a week, or as a refuge throughout the years.

It was a place ? tranquil and safe, warm and friendly ? quite unlike any other.

It was a place for exploring ? the woods, the lake, and yes ? our inner fears.

We welcomed friends unto this place. We called out: come one ? come all, and many hours were spent talking, playing cards, or simply sitting by the fire.

We conversed many times, learning of each other, telling our tales, which then seamed tall.

From life's struggles, which then seamed unreal, we learned to fight ? and to never tire.

It is there we learned to dream our dreams, and that with work, anything could be done.

We tried out many things, as we grew ? trying desperately, to discover who we should be.

It is there we learned to love, to win a heart ? and how our heart could be won, and slowly there emerged, a person strongly formed, from deep inside ? which was free.

And if we closely listen now ? even though we are many miles, and many years away ?

We can see ourselves sitting by the fire, with family, with friends ? or late at night ? all alone.

We can see this place we can hear the voices, and listen to their conversations as they say:

"Feel the sun, and the soft wind blow. Hear the trees ? as they whisper soft secrets of -- Our Home."

Tom Knutson MN:: 1995 top 3% nationwide poetry contest
1998 top 2% nationwide poetry contest
1999 Mists of Enchantment, Library of Congress
1999 Best poets of the 1990s, Library of Congress
2000 National and International acclaim
2000 Mobius Poetry Magazine, Thanksgiving issue
2001 Songs put to music POP, Country, Blues
2002 National and International acclaim
2003 Today's Woman Magazine poet of choice
2004 Two Editor's Choice awards
2005 Mobius Poetry Magazine, Spring Issue:

In The News:


Los Angeles Times

Wislawa Szymborska, a Nobel Prize-winning Polish poet, dies at 88
Washington Post
Wislawa Szymborska, a Nobel Prize-winning poet who used the imagery of everyday objects and a mordant style to explore dramatic themes of human experience including love, war and death, died Feb. 1 at her home in Krakow, Poland. She was 88.
Wislawa Szymborska, Nobel-Winning Polish Poet, Dies at 88New York Times
The World Remembers Wislawa SzymborskaHuffington Post (blog)
Wislawa Szymborska dies at 88; Nobel-winning Polish poetLos Angeles Times
Philadelphia Inquirer -Hindustan Times -Wall Street Journal
all 274 news articles »

Flush Poets Society: Donnelly's 'Cloud Corporation' Wins Six-Figure Prize
NPR
by David Orr "Poetry" and "money" are rarely found in the same sentence, unless a practitioner of the former is lamenting his dearth of the latter. Most poets get by on odd jobs, occasional grants, adjunct teaching, snippets of journalism or — in the ...
Timothy Donnelly of Brooklyn wins Kingsley Tufts Poetry AwardNew York Daily News (blog)
Brooklyn man wins Kingsley Tufts Poetry AwardWall Street Journal
Claremont Graduate University Announces Winners of 2012 Tufts Poetry AwardsPR Newswire (press release)

all 142 news articles »

Wigan Today

Poetry night reads well
Wigan Today
WHILE it seems a quiet one this week for music, sample some poetry from local writers instead. Write Out Loud (WOL) will take place next Thursday at the Tudor House Hotel. The open mic nights, which are run by local poet John Togher, give Wigan writers ...


La. poet laureate to be in Leesville
Alexandria Town Talk
Louisiana Poet Laureate Julie Kane will make two stops in Leesville on Feb. 13 to offer presentations on humor in poetry and sign copies of her poetry volumes. Kane, a professor of English at Northwestern State University, makes public appearances and ...


Telegraph.co.uk

Scotland referendum: We need a poetry of the Union to defeat Salmond's freedom ...
Telegraph.co.uk
Not that Labour's role in the campaign won't be vital – I'll come back to this, because it's related to those shocking deprivation figures in Glasgow – but Tories are the natural romantics of the Union, and should develop and articulate a poetry about ...

and more »

Poetry adding cheer to go with your beer
This is Kent
FOLLOWING last week's performances by Olympic poet Lemn Sissay in Thanet alongside Burns Night, Brown Ale takes a look at wordsmiths providing punters with purple prose to punctuate their pints. Spoken word has taken off in recent years with lyricists ...

and more »

SGGP

HCMC to host 10th Vietnam Poetry Day
SGGP
The 10th Vietnam Poetry Day will be held at the Ho Chi Minh Museum in Ho Chi Minh City on February 5, organised by the Ho Chi Minh City Writers' Association and Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper. Members from poetry clubs from various Districts, ...

and more »

Louder Than a Bomb Tulsa: Local teens' slam poetry resonates
Tulsa World
Heavy subjects for teenagers, who some think are too preoccupied with texting, video games, social networks and being cool to write such personal poetry, let alone perform their works in front of each other. Kent Martin, director and co-founder of ...


DNAinfo

Nepali Poets Share Love of Homeland at Jackson Heights Festival
DNAinfo
Noted Nepali poet Govinda Giri Prerana will read his works at the Nepali poem festival on Sun., Feb. 5, in Jackson Heights. (Govinda Giri Prerana) JACKSON HEIGHTS — When Anjali Roka came to the United States in 2003, she tried to fit in with ...


Chicagoist

Langston Hughes Poetry Reading Returns
TheDay.com
The MAC's fourth Langston Hughes Community Poetry Reading will feature poets, educators, artists, students and members of the community celebrating the legacy of the renowned African American poet with readings from Hughes' voluminous body of work.
Celebrating The Legacy Of Langston HughesNPR
Langston Hughes Comes AliveChicagoist
African American Studies Presents The Langston Hughes ProjectValdosta State University

all 5 news articles »
Google News

Testimony to the Night [In English and Spanish]

In the quiet of the arctic night- In its deep... Read More

Exalted Poetry; Two poem [and commentary]

Bells for Belphegor!...Where immortal veils never meet Belphegor, Arch devil... Read More

Article on Poetry and Two Poems

Writing Poetry for TomorrowWhat does a man need to be... Read More

Arizona Blue--Gunfighter: The Wolves Nest [Chapter One of Seven: The North]

[Episode Five]Arizona Blue-GunfighterThe Wolves Nest-in the North[Episode Five]Northern Minnesota Area?Winter... Read More

Mother, I Dont Mind The Pain

I am among those who know that one never recovers... Read More

Two Poems with Triggers [and a commentary]

So Many Einstein'sThe morning mist, insists there is a God.... Read More

Three Poems [Lima; Judges and Evils Creation]

1.Evil's CreationThou knowith evil clings To tender peace-; Nor does... Read More

A Death in Cajamarca, Peru (Atahualpa, in Cajamarca ((in English and Spanish))

The Epic Poem:A Death in Cajamarca, Peru [Atahualpa, in Cajamarca]Advance:... Read More

Africa

AFRICA (to africans in diaspora)africa here i come, africa africa... Read More

Two Poems Written During Recovery

Since my wife and I are moving, or preparing to... Read More

House of the Goblin [Part Two of Three/with notes]

House of the Goblin [Part Two of Three]Here is where,... Read More

The Merchant of Copan [In English and Spanish]

English VersionThe Merchant of Copan [480 AD]Advance: The ballgame at... Read More

Bleed

now is not the time to open open that great... Read More

Im Sorry Mom! A Mothers Day Poem

Mother's Day Poetry,I'm Sorry Mom!I'm sorry for the troubles ... Read More

Memoirs of a Wastelands Rim [a Poem: now in Spanish and English]

Memoirs of a Wasteland's RimIt still was light when she... Read More

Famous Poets Quotations - Top 30 Poetry Quotations by Famous Poets

"For this reason poetry is something more philosophical and more... Read More

An Old Wood Pile [a poem with notes]

Old skin, once held tight Against her skeleton- Rose no... Read More

Ambiguity and Abstraction in Bob Dylan?s Lyrics

To many people contemporary poetry is a turn-off. The reason... Read More

Savage Nature: The Life of Ted Hughes

One of the most important poets of the post-war period,... Read More

Lucky...

You make me smile like I've seldom done before You... Read More

I Saw the Universe

I can see the cerulean blue of the skiesOr the... Read More

Poetry in a Nutshell

Poetry is more than just rhyming and prose that is... Read More

Review Of Stephen B. Wileys First Book Of Poetry: HERO ISLAND

Poet Stephen B. Wiley's first book of poetry, Hero Island,... Read More

Motiff

Have you ever experienced infatuation with someone you know is... Read More

The Art of Receiving Poetic Critique

You can show your poem to your mom, your spouse,... Read More