The practice of unrestrained, uber-criticism towards ourselves and others is almost never helpful. Very often, we are well-oiled machines of criticism, again aimed at ourselves first and foremost, then others as a byproduct. Why? Often it stems...

Our minds are increasingly becoming domesticated, taken over by prescribed strategies, markets, algorithms, clocks, bureaucracies, and conformity. Of course, we need productivity and a degree of control in order to live our lives. But our many ...

There’s been a palace coup. For fifty years, our logical, linear, analytical selves have been in charge. It’s not wrong or bad in and of itself. At least until this side of us gained a kind of absolute “monopoly” power. It’s turned into a profo...

I say argue with poems not people. First of all, you’ve got to get clear about how you actually think and feel before you go blathering away at others. And that’s huge and potentially helpful no matter what else you do. Second when you argue in...

A good poem invites you to walk inside and have your own experience. It becomes a room to wander, feel, and carry with you. Savor that gift—and pass it on.

The last few lines are often where poems bloom or detonate. Slow down. Let them land. Even the poet, maybe especially the poet, must be surprised.

These are the lines that shimmer with more-than-words, inviting you to stop, feel, and be changed. Not every poem has a heartline—but the ones that stay with you always do.

Silence speaks volumes—before, between, and after words and lines. Listen carefully to what poems don't say, as much as what they do. Sometimes a pause will include repeating a line or lines, and playing with inflection. And if we listen deeply...

Don’t Perform – Speak The Poem… Let the poem live and breathe through you.Speak as if sharing something private and true, not putting on a show.

Despair is that feeling of "ending" full stop. As if nothing can, or will ever change again. Cahnge can, and will happen. No feeling is final... Just begin again!

Stay tuned for a new format and new episodes beginning July 4, 2025. In the meantime, I'll be giving talks and teaching at The Fromm Institute. More details here: https://courses.fromminstitute.org/posts/84396387?utm_source=manual

This poem is wonderfully subversive when it comes to exposing the biggest lie reinforced by our cultural stories...

A good poem will interest, excite, and move you. You don’t need to “try” to like a good poem. So if a poem does not move you… move on! There is so much poetry, you can be picky.

A greatefulness practice can transform your life. But what happens when feeling grateful seems difficult, or even impossible? Here's a story and a poem that may help. (PS: GRATEFUL.ORG is an amazing resource for your gratefulness practice, co-f...

Some poems are so good... they can give us a kind of fresh start. Deliver gifts for the head and heart. Help us change our minds and moods...

"Heroes are all about straightening things out.The courageous love the curves as much as the straights..."–Dale Biron

That old kind of hope, "hope 1.0" is no longer up to the task. It is being replaced, and not a second too soon...

Use this poem to regain your center, agency, and way... even in these most difficult times!

"Friends, we’re trying to understand, as one, as many, as Mother Earth.And it can be as daunting as catching smoke with our bare hands."–Dale Biron

Asking Me To "Stand With The Dems"You keep asking for more money, and for me to “stand with the Dems.” I’ll stand with the Dems when they actually take a stand for us all. I’ll stand with the Dems when they break a few rules, peacefully ...

We are helpless mapmakers. We can’t stop drawing lines, creating meaning, and shaping stories to explain the world around us. It’s how we navigate life—through beliefs, assumptions, and the mental landscapes we construct. But if we combine this...

If we look inside ourselves, each of us has places in our lives of brokenness, sorrow, and grief. Places that have strung us out to dry... What then? That's when this week's poem comes in handy.

Can a humorous poem make serious points? Yes. Poems can help us make sense of the world. Poems can help us ask new, sometimes uncomfortable questions. A just right poem can help us write whole new ways of seeing and feeling the world, and what'...

How To Be Less Fearful (to remind myself) "What if we, are the only Calvary that’s actually coming?What if the kindness we seek, we must bring ourselves...?"–Dale Biron

Finding moments of sanity, refuge, and even joy, is more critical than ever. This week's special poem is a potent reminder of this...