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A Call to Repentance and Renewal
Words for a Wounded World is a striking collection of scriptural poetry that bridges devotion and art, journeying from the foundations of faith to the trials of endurance, calling readers to reflection, repentance, and renewal. What inspired you to write this particular collection of poems?
It all began with a young husband and father named Tucker. He was quietly losing a war few could see—caught in the grip of pornography and desperate for freedom but unsure how to reach it. As I walked with him through this struggle, the Holy Spirit stirred something unexpected in my heart: Write him a poem.
That poem became “Lured: The War for Your Soul.” It wasn’t meant to be creative expression—it was spiritual warfare. Every line was grounded in Scripture, confronting the enemy’s lies, exposing the spiritual battle, and calling Tucker back to the Truth of God’s Word. With the poem, I included companion Scriptures, reflection questions, and a call to repentance and renewal.
Weeks later, Tucker shared that the poem became his lifeline. He carried it with him. He turned to it in moments of temptation. And God used it to remind him that he wasn’t alone—and that freedom is possible through Christ.
After Tucker, the Lord continued placing people on my heart, along with specific burdens and Scriptures for each one. One poem became two, then three… until I realized the Lord wasn’t giving me isolated pieces—He was forming a collection. These became Words for a Wounded World, a book written for every soul wrestling with sin, sorrow, confusion, or spiritual longing, pointing them back to the healing power of God’s Word.
Do you have a favorite poem in the book, and if so, why does it hold special meaning for you?
That’s a tough question and a bit like asking which of your children you love most, (Lol) Each of the sixteen poems carries its own story, its own ministry moment, and its own spiritual burden. They were all born out of real conversations, real struggles, and real breakthroughs.
What makes them especially meaningful to me is how each poem teaches the Word of God in a reverent, compassionate, poetic, and even prophetic way. They are not just poems—they are invitations to encounter Scripture, to hear God’s heart, and to respond to His truth.
How has this poetry book changed you as a writer, or what did you learn about yourself through writing it?
I never set out to write a poetry book, and I certainly never saw myself as a poet. But when you follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit and immerse yourself deeply in God’s Word, you discover that God can do far more through you than you ever imagined.
The process was remarkable. For each poem, the Lord impressed a subject on my heart. I would turn to Scripture—searching, collecting, studying, meditating, wrestling, and praying—until the lines and stanzas began to take shape. After each poem came the reflection questions, journaling prompts, and the prayer prompts.
I didn’t know where any of it was heading until the twelfth poem. That’s when the vision of a full collection began to emerge. By the time the sixteenth poem was written, a four-part structure had taken shape—a structure I didn’t plan, but that God did.
Writing Words for a Wounded World has taught me that God delights in using imperfect people with imperfect words to point others to His perfect Word.
Have you received any feedback from readers that surprised or moved you?
The most meaningful feedback has been how readers are drawn from the poems directly into Scripture. Hearing that a line, a question, or a prayer prompt sent someone diving deeper into God’s Word—that’s the highest encouragement I could receive. The poems were never meant to stand alone; they were meant to be bridges leading people straight to the heart of God.
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In this Spirit-led collection, author and Biblical teacher Mark Richard weaves together sixteen Scripture-inspired poems that speak life into dark places. Each poem is grounded in the timeless truth of God’s Word, accompanied by full biblical references, and deep devotional reflection questions-creating a rich three-part encounter with God’s truth.
These “hymn-like” poems were born in real moments of ministry-written for people facing doubt, anxiety, sickness, and sorrow. Now, they are offered to you-to awaken your soul, convict your heart, and strengthen your faith.
Fight For What Matters
American Entropy is a collection of poetry that swings from political outcry to spiritual yearning, from queer love to existential doubt, and ignites readers’ desire to fight for what matters. What inspired you to write this particular collection of poems?
It was largely just paying attention to the news and seeing how every day, Trump is violating the Constitution, trying to force universities and museums to adopt right-wing propaganda and treat it as fact. Like all fascist authoritarians, Trump hates it when truths that contradict his lies proliferate, so I felt it important to do my part to tell those truths.
Doing it in a way that makes readers want to fight for what matters, rather than just dwelling on the darkness of modern American life, was important to me too, because if you don’t focus on what we still have, it becomes all too easy for people to give up.
The poems about love, metaphysical, spiritual topics, and queer love are all just examples of me writing what I know.
Your poetry tackles deeply emotional and politically volatile topics while also touching on hope for the future. How do you approach writing about deeply personal or emotional topics?
“Power through and write what’s true,” like it says in the poem “It’s Not Too Late.” I just get it out onto the page as accurately as I can before giving myself a chance to question how honest is too honest. I feel like if I’m too reserved in writing my poetry it won’t be as relatable, and the reader will be able to tell I’m holding something back, and it won’t foster empathy as much as I hope my work does by being unflinchingly honest.
How has this poetry book changed you as a writer, or what did you learn about yourself through writing it?
This book really crystalized for me that poetry is an important type of resistance, which is something I think my work has always been when it comes to fighting heteronormativity and homophobia and other bigotries, but this is the first time I’ve dedicated so much of any one poetry collection to raging against one corrupt administration and detailing all the ways it’s trampling our rights and waging war against the American people.
I’ve learned about myself that I really just don’t give up no matter what, and I can help others not give up either.
What is one thing that you hope readers take away from American Entropy?
That this isn’t normal, the way Trump is shredding the Constitution and speaking to our worst natures, and the way Republicans in Congress and conservative Supreme Court justices are complicit in enabling it. That it’s bigoted Nazi fascism, and we don’t have to just roll over and take it.
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Through explorations of the metaphysical, religion, and relationships, the poems delve into both darkness and the light born of efforts to expand human consciousness. Despair is given unflinching witness, making the discovery of hope all the more profound. And love—raw, imperfect, and essential—is celebrated as a balm for our plugged-in yet detached modern lives.
If you’re disillusioned with an America sliding toward fascism and the strain it places on relationships, American Entropy may reignite your fire to keep fighting for what matters, keep loving, and hold faith in something greater than ourselves.
Travelling Souls
Death Kindly Stopped For Me is a haunting, luminous poetry collection that channels the spirit of Emily Dickinson while carving a modern and contemporary voice all its own. What inspired you to write this particular collection of poems?
I was inspired to write this collection of poems after reading Emily Dickinson’s infamous poem “Because I could not stop for Death.” Her personification of Death in this iconic poem is unique and ingenious.
How did you decide on the themes that run throughout your poetry book?
My objective was to personify Death in various different ways, using Dickinson’s poem as an example of one of Death’s multiple personalities. Further on in my book, my poems depict deaths that have resonated with me personally. In my book’s final section, I was inspired to describe experiences of travelling souls, when fear of death has been overcome.
Do you have a favorite poem in the book, and if so, why does it hold special meaning for you?
One of my favorite poems in my book is “Rather an Odd Quirk of Death”, which was first printed in Blue Unicorn Poetry Journal. It has a very tight and mesmerizing rhyme scheme, and I feel it depicts Death as a novel and intriguing personality, someone you would want to be your friend.
What is the next book that you are working on and when can your fans expect it to be out?
My next book is another book of poetry entitled Extraterrestrials Congregate and it should be out next year.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Amazon
In this mesmerizing collection, Death steps forward—not as something to fear, but as a presence offering grace, wisdom, and a strange kind of solace. Through rhythmic, lyrical verse, Jackson explores life’s impermanence, weaving together themes of faith, doubt, and the beauty of the unknown.
Echoing Dickinson while speaking to the modern soul, this collection challenges the way we see Death—not as a shadow, but as an invitation to something deeper.
Death Kindly Stopped For Me: A Book of Poetry Inspired by Emily Dickinson
Corey Elizabeth Jackson’s Death Kindly Stopped For Me is a haunting, luminous collection that channels the spirit of Emily Dickinson while carving a voice all its own. Through meditations on mortality, transcendence, and the soul’s voyage beyond the veil, Jackson crafts poetry that is both graceful and profound. Divided into four sections, Death Befriended, Kindred Spirits, Death Released, and Soulscape the collection reimagines Death not as an adversary, but a quiet companion. Dickinson’s enigmatic tone lingers like a spectral echo, yet Jackson infuses each page with vivid, celestial imagery that feels strikingly original.
Jackson’s emotional range is remarkable. There’s a delicate balance of sorrow and tenderness throughout, most evident in poems like Death Wrapped a Shawl Around My Shoulder, where Death emerges as a caregiver gentle, yet unnerving. In Death Amongst the Daffodils, the afterlife glows with warmth, casting eternity as a sunlit field. Light and shadow dance across the verses, invoking Dickinson’s own paradoxes while offering fresh interpretation.
What distinguishes this collection most, however, is Jackson’s distinctive, modern voice. Poems like Barbie Could Not Stop for Death and With Covid Deaths We Can More Widely See ground the work firmly in the present, bringing contemporary resonance to timeless themes. These pieces are bold and thought-provoking, yet seamlessly integrated with the more classical compositions.
The illustrations by Daniel Schmelling deserve high praise. Ethereal and deeply emotive, they do more than accompany the text, they elevate it. Each image enriches the atmosphere, pulling the reader further into the dreamlike world Jackson constructs. The visual and verbal elements work in harmony, enhancing the immersive quality of the collection.
Jackson’s ability to evoke deep feeling with spare, lyrical lines is her greatest strength. When First I Saw My Baby Boy is heartrending in its simplicity a quiet elegy for a lost child. In contrast, Owl Ensconced on Oaken Branch offers quiet wisdom and gentle reflection. The final section, Soulscape, concludes the journey with wonder and serenity. Poems like Galaxies with Memories transform death into a cosmic return, a homecoming among the stars.
Death Kindly Stopped For Me: A Book of Poetry Inspired by Emily Dickinson is an essential reading for admirers of Dickinson, Poe, or Mary Oliver for anyone who cherishes introspective poetry that lingers long after the last line. Jackson doesn’t merely contemplate death she reimagines it. Her work invites us to walk with it, to find comfort in the mystery, and perhaps even, to dance.
Pages: 162 | ASIN : B0D1GL5J23
I Speak to the Reader’s Soul
Your Words Your Love is a heartfelt collection of poems and photographs that intertwine themes of faith, love, and personal reflection. What inspired you to write this particular collection of poems?
Inspiration comes from God, it is a gift from Him. Nothing is more powerful than God’s love. He loves us deeply and unconditionally and I wanted to write about it because I know what a difference it makes in one’s life to have an intimate and personal relationship with Him rather than having none.
Do you have a favorite poem in the book, and if so, why does it hold special meaning for you?
I have several but Love would be the one because it’s very personal. I chose to share with the reader a season in my life.
Do you think there is a particular mindset or environment that a reader should be in to fully appreciate your work?
I think a quiet environment would be the best choice. I speak to the reader’s soul with simple words that have deep meaning. Also, it’s best to take your time, same for the photographs so as not to miss all the beauty or the message behind the words.
How has this poetry book changed you as a writer, or what did you learn about yourself through writing it?
I think the more you write, the better you become, same thing with photography. This is my fourth book and I see the change in the poems and the photographs as compared from years ago.
Author Links: Goodreads | X | Facebook | Website
The sign on the door
In big bold gold letters
Reads
Vacancy
There’s room
Inside
Ample
Always
No sincere hearts
Will be turned away
For lack of any kind
An excerpt from the poem There’s room, part of this artistic new collection.
Insightful poetry that speaks directly to your heart and soul about God and His love.
Intriguing story poems where faith, hope, salvation, and trust in Him are center stage.
Among the pages of riveting verses are endearing photographs of nature in all its splendor throughout the seasons.
Your Words Your Love
Louise Bélanger’s Your Words Your Love is a heartfelt collection of poems and photographs that intertwine themes of faith, love, and personal reflection. Each piece is a glimpse into the author’s spiritual journey, exploring the depth of human connection with God and the nuances of everyday emotions. From meditations on obedience, as seen in “First Glance,” to transformative forgiveness in “The Unwanted Guests,” the book shares poems that inspire and challenge the reader.
Bélanger doesn’t sugarcoat the struggles of faith; instead, she meets them head-on with raw honesty. In “There’s Room,” the author extends an open invitation to the Kingdom of God, painting it as a space of boundless inclusion. The metaphor of an invisible door resonated with me. It’s both poetic and relatable, reminding readers that spiritual journeys are personal yet universal. The simplicity of her language makes profound truths accessible, which I found refreshing.
I also loved the way the book balances introspection and storytelling. “The Box” is a standout piece, where mirrors and self-absorption become metaphors for isolation. The narrative builds into a powerful call for generosity and humility, turning the poem into a parable of transformation. The imagery is vivid, yet the message is simple enough to linger long after the page is turned. Similarly, “Dominoes” poetically explores the ripple effects of God’s actions, portraying life as a carefully orchestrated masterpiece. The poem’s rhythm mirrors the falling dominoes, creating a sense of motion that captivated me.
The blend of hope and vulnerability in poems like “Come Sit Close to Me” makes this book more than just a spiritual exploration. Bélanger’s candid plea for divine love and solace feels like a prayer shared among friends. The accessibility of her emotions and her willingness to bare her soul make the book feel intimate. Each poem, no matter its theme, is a reminder of God’s unfailing presence and a nudge toward deeper faith.
I recommend Your Words Your Love to anyone seeking spiritual encouragement or a thoughtful exploration of Christian faith. Whether you’re a long-time believer or just curious about connecting with something greater, this book has something to offer. Its gentle guidance, combined with beautiful poetry and evocative imagery, makes it an uplifting companion for moments of reflection or prayer.
Pages: 136 | ASIN : B0DM2R13G4
Look Within to See the Real You
Life Inside a Brown Paper Bag is a collection of poetry written to encourage readers to challenge their own thinking about everyday life. What was the inspiration for this collection?
I don’t consider myself a poet or a writer. However, over time, and with a good deal of experiences under one’s belt, you should be able to arrange the 170,000 + words of the English language into some form of readable compendium that sets itself apart from other works. The collection of poems and/or sentiments that comprise Life Inside a Brown Paper Bag are largely autobiographical, that is, they occurred in some shape or form during my 73 years on Earth. They are neither unique nor extraordinary in and of themselves, but take on their own peculiar perspective under the backdrop of the medium in which they are presented.
Do you have a selection within this book that particularly resonates with you?
I think the poem The Park demonstrates what I am trying to disburse. In any given day and at any given moment there is both peace and chaos in the world. Depending on your current placement in life, whatever you are experiencing is likewise being experienced by thousands of others, while millions of others are experiencing vastly different matters. There is no universal equality in life or events. Take your peace and your turmoil with balanced sensitivity.
How did you decide on the unique title for your collection?
The title of the book is taken from a poem within, which tries to remind one that the simplicity of life is usually far more satisfying than the convoluted and arduous path that most people take. We seem to have turned life into more of a struggle by amassing an assortment of unnecessary examinations on our thoughts and deeds. Joy becomes only a biproduct instead of a first fruit.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
I enjoyed writing this book. I have read and reread it hundreds of times, with innumerable changes over approximately 9 years. It sat for months like a dormant volcano, and erupted at others times like a rabid dog. Whether another volume is on the horizon is hard to say. I constantly look around me and think…that’s interesting, I could write about that…but if I don’t put it down on paper right away it fades like a cloud in the sky. I really just wanted to put together something that makes people look within themselves. That’s where you’ll find the real you.
Life Inside a Brown Paper Bag
Life Inside a Brown Paper Bag, by Richard Burridge, presents a unique exploration of the human psyche through the lens of poetry. In this collection, Burridge extends an invitation to readers for a journey into the depths of human emotions and experiences. The metaphorical title hints at the themes of concealment and revelation that play a central role in the narrative.
Burridge’s expertise in blending language with emotion shines throughout the collection. His poems serve as gateways, offering glimpses into various aspects of the human soul. The language used is striking and elegant, capturing the ebb and flow of feelings like joy, grief, love, and despair with remarkable finesse.
One of the standout qualities of this compilation is its universal appeal, intertwined with a deeply personal essence. Burridge navigates a wide array of emotions, creating a sense of connection and understanding with his audience. The collection covers diverse themes, from the fleeting nature of time to the enduring strength of the human spirit. The use of vivid imagery and metaphors throughout the book enriches the reader’s experience, with each poem standing on its own as a distinct piece. The rhythm and flow of the verses contribute to a melodious reading experience, adding depth to the emotional resonance of the poetry. Life Inside a Brown Paper Bag showcases Burridge’s ability to balance profound themes with approachable language. This makes the collection appealing to a wide audience, including both avid poetry readers and those new to the genre.
Richard Burridge’s Life Inside a Brown Paper Bag is a compelling exploration of life’s complexities and beauties. It encourages introspection and a deeper understanding of our own experiences, making it a significant addition to contemporary poetry.
Pages: 300 | ASIN : B0CL4V1CSH
LITERARY TITAN 