THE WAY BACK TO OURSELVES
Literary Journal
The Way Back to Ourselves Literary Journal Presents:
COMING FALL 2024…
M A S T H E A D:
Editors: Sarah Steele, Kimberly Kralovic, and Ashley Whittemore
Founder and Editor-in-Chief: Kimberly Phinney
THE PEACE OF WILD THINGS
by Wendell Berry
When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives might be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
MAY YOU HEAR THE PEACE OF WILD THINGS SPEAK INTO YOUR SOUL.
Listen to the poets of the Spring Collection: Renaissance read their work with our NEW podcast, The Poetry Corner from The Way Back Podcast, hosted by Edward L. Holmes II and Deidre Braley.
Pushcart Nominated: Saint Catalina
In his moving short story, “Saint Catalina,” Zaher Alajlani tells an unlikely restoration story through the serendipitous meeting of two women.
Birdsong and Eventide and Other Works
In her poetry and short story, Bethany Peck delves into the complexities of grief and longing with rich nature imagery and themes of faith and perseverance.
Slaughtering Lies and Other Stories
In her short story “Slaughtering Lies,” Awara Fernández describes how a discarded dog brought her hope in the face of her own suffering. In “Masquerading as Crows,” she explores the loss that comes with Alzheimer’s Disease and the future restoration found in God.
The Artist
In his moving short story, “The Artist,” Zaher Alajlani, tells an unlikely revival story through the life of Cristian, a lovelorn youth.
Veorica (Pushcart Nominated)
In his gripping short story “Veorica,” Zaher Alajlani explores the existential quandaries of being spiritual things in a material world, as he resurrects a semiautobiographical encounter.
Start your journey.
It starts today— in the small steps you take, the hands you hold, the prayers you say, the art you make, and the hard things you conquer… The way back isn’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.
CONNECT WITH US ON INSTAGRAM.
