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.
The Artist
In his moving short story, “The Artist,” Zaher Alajlani, tells an unlikely revival story through the life of Cristian, a lovelorn youth.
The Unseeing of a House Sparrow and Other Poems
In his collection of three poems, Ion Corcos reflects on life, family, and love through the imagistic and complimentary lens of nature.
I Stay and Other Poems
In her poetry, Julie Priebbenow writes about the complexities of life and death and her ultimate choice of faith over suffering.
Despite My Father, I Believe
In her vulnerable personal narrative “Despite My Father, I Believe,” Lara d’Entremont writes about a difficult childhood with her father and the healing journey God has led her on over the years.
A Brutal Love
In “A Brutal Love,” poet Kimberly Phinney writes about her harrowing journey through severe illness and the spiritual epiphany she experienced in her garden that helped bring her back to life.
Dreams, Death, and Legacy: A Personal Essay
In her personal essay, “Dreams, Death, and Legacy,” writer and activist Gabriella Badmus processes her grief after the passing of her grandparents and looks to her faith and the future as ways to honor them.
Willow and Other Poems
In her delightful poems “Willow,” “Paper Hearts,” and “Mundane,” artist and writer Danielle Robbins mediates on the quiet life and her path toward self-compassion and peace.
Haikus for Hadley
In “Haikus for Hadley,” poet Kimberly Phinney teams up with her young daughter to write four heartwarming haikus about motherhood and longing through infertility.
Moonbeam Benediction
In “Moonbeam Benediction,” poet Stephanie Nygaard writes about the pain of sleepless nights and worry and how God’s assuring presence greets her in the darkness.
Breakthrough and Silence
In her poems, “Breakthrough” and “Silence,” Penelope Guzzo explores the complex feelings one experiences during existential searching and difficult relationships. For Penelope, it is only when she rests in God that she finds a way through the challenges.
Strong
In “Strong,” poet and disability advocate Anna Wild reveals an intimate narrative in third person, which tackles her struggles with illness, faith, acceptance, and betrayal.
October Sky and A Mind Full of Sorrow
Poet Pat Severin explores the ups and downs of living in two poems. “October Sky” celebrates the beauty of the natural world and God’s creation during this time of year. While “A Mind Full of Sorrow,” explores depression and the redemption and comfort one can find in a personal relationship with the Heavenly Father.
Grief
In her poem “Grief,” musician and writer Jenny Rose Verdoni writes about the stages of grief and the healing that is promised to us as children of God.
This is My Happy Poem
In a simple lyric poem, “This is My Happy Poem,” poet Kimberly Phinney recalls one of her first memories of pure joy after surviving critical illness.
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.
