The Fall Collection: TO THE MOUNTAINS coming soonโ€ฆ

Listen to the poets of The Way Back to Ourselves Literary Journal perform their work with our podcast, The Poetry Corner, a spin-off from The Way Back Podcast, hosted by Edward Holmes and Deidre Braley.

LISTEN NOW
Thorns and Honey
poetry Kimberly Phinney poetry Kimberly Phinney

Thorns and Honey

In her lush and evocative poem โ€œThorns and Honey,โ€ Mariana Mosli finds herself in the Garden of Eden as the Lord searches earnestly for her.

Read More
Sowing Across the Rows: Essay and Poetry
poetry, essay Kimberly Phinney poetry, essay Kimberly Phinney

Sowing Across the Rows: Essay and Poetry

In her essay โ€œSowing Across the Rows,โ€ Mckenzie Hunt draws us into the seasons of life as it relates to natureโ€™s rhythms when she remembers precious time spent with her mother in the garden. In her poem โ€œGarden Dreams,โ€ she reminds us of Godโ€™s unyielding love.

Read More
Creatura
poetry Kimberly Phinney poetry Kimberly Phinney

Creatura

In her poem โ€œCreatura," folklorist Ashley Sposato becomes one with nature and the garden, as she explores what it is to be a poem in the ways nature and God offer themselves as poetry.

Read More
The Pastoral
essay Kimberly Phinney essay Kimberly Phinney

The Pastoral

With her insightful essay โ€œThe Pastoral,โ€ Rev. Christine Davies draws on the parallels of life on the farm and life as a hospital chaplain in the delicate dance of beauty and grief.

Read More
Through Grief and Grace
poetry Kimberly Phinney poetry Kimberly Phinney

Through Grief and Grace

In his deeply moving poem, โ€œThrough Grief and Grace," Edward Holmes laments and praises God through a painful loss and his hopes for future gardens.

Read More
A Simple Case for the God We Cannot See
essay Kimberly Phinney essay Kimberly Phinney

A Simple Case for the God We Cannot See

In her essay โ€œA Simple Case for the God We Cannot See,โ€ Jessica Jolley leads us through nature and life, reminding us that Godโ€™s presence is undeniably present, like gravity and the wind.

Read More
Iron Creek Blues
poetry Kimberly Phinney poetry Kimberly Phinney

Iron Creek Blues

In โ€œIron Creek Blues,โ€ Nicholas Trandahl writes of a grounded yet ethereal encounter with nature as Mother Earth and Father God as he delves into the wild gardens of his heart.

Read More
Mother Tongue of the Father and Other Poems
poetry Kimberly Phinney poetry Kimberly Phinney

Mother Tongue of the Father and Other Poems

In her poems โ€œMother Tongue of the Father" and โ€œFirst Intentions,โ€ Deidre Braley imagines what it means to go back to the Garden, as she learns Godโ€™s language and the sweet release of his gardens.

Read More
Vernalization and Other Poems
poetry Kimberly Phinney poetry Kimberly Phinney

Vernalization and Other Poems

In her poems "Vernalization," "On the Existence of Almonds," and "Perennial People," Courtney Moody dreams of peace and harmony as she meditates on what happens in the garden in all seasons.

Read More
A Garden in the Forest
short story Kimberly Phinney short story Kimberly Phinney

A Garden in the Forest

In his moving short story, โ€œA Garden in the Forest,โ€ Zaher Alajlani tells the story of Edward, a man who must come to grips with deep grief and loss and how he finds ultimate solace in an unlikely garden.

Read More
Into a Little Chaos
essay Kimberly Phinney essay Kimberly Phinney

Into a Little Chaos

In โ€œInto a Little Chaos," Civil Winters asserts that gardens are less about forcing order and more about embracing the beauty and blessings of chaos.

Read More

The Way Back to Ourselves and our Literary Journal is not for profit and FREE for all to read and enjoy. If you believe in our cause and want to support our mission and the creation of our journal and other content, like our podcast and blog, please consider donating. Thank you. God bless you. You belong here.

Start your journey.

It starts todayโ€” in the small steps you take, the hands you hold, the prayers you say, the art you make, and the hard things you conquerโ€ฆ The way back isnโ€™t as far as you think.

Get involved. Write for us. Attend our workshops and retreats. Hire us for creative counseling, editing, or speaking engagements.

Get Started

CONNECT WITH US ON INSTAGRAM.