
THE WAY BACK TO OURSELVES
Community Literary Journal
THE WAY BACK TO OURSELVES PRESENTS:
THE SPRING COLLECTION: IN HIS GARDEN
coming in April…
The Spring Collection: IN HIS GARDEN Print Journal Coming in May 2025
The Way Back to Ourselves is proud to present our FIRST print journal arriving in May 2025. Enjoy the free digital collection in this stunning keepsake for purchase on Amazon in paperback and hardcover from The Way Back Books, an imprint of TheWayBack2Ourselves.com.
Listen to the poets of The Way Back to Ourselves Literary Journal perform their work with our NEW podcast, The Poetry Corner, a spin-off from The Way Back Podcast, hosted by Edward Holmes and Deidre Braley.

Till
In her sonnet, “Till,” Desi Ana Sartini reminds us that the tilling of our soul is the most important work.

Gethsemane
In “Gethsemane,” Julia McMullen intertwines suffering and redemption through prayer.

By Any Other Name
“By Any Other Name,” Corie Preston describes the first flower to spring after the long, harsh winter.

I Think of Eden
In “I Think of Eden,” Rebecca J. Gomez dreams of glimmering sunshine on a cool morning.

In the Wilderness
In his poem “In the Wilderness,” Nathaniel Evans leads us on a journey through the barren desert of loss in search of new life, new hope, and a God who can cause shoots to spring forth from dry dirt.

Ivy and Oak and Other Poems
In “Ivy and Oak,” Abbi Bodager’s beautiful imagery inspires us to reflect on our own connections with nature. In her poem “The Gardener,” we are reminded of the Creator God who lovingly prunes us to make us more and more in his image.

Step Into the Light
“Step Into the Light” by Megan J. Conner is a call to each of us to step out of the darkness and despair of life’s many struggles and into God’s glorious light.

FEATURED: Of the Smaller Miracles
Dr. Karen Swallow Prior, author and professor, writes about the tender gifts of everyday miracles in her poem, “Of the Smaller Miracles.”

FEATURED: Cabin Sketches and Other Poems
Award-winning poet Nicholas Trandahl writes about the majestic outdoors and the spiritual awakenings found within and without in “Cabin Sketches” and other poems.

FEATURED: The Slow Craft of Poetry
In his poem “The Slow Craft of Poetry,” Joshua T. Baylis not only challenges but guides us in the way of expressing nature’s beauty on the page.

FEATURED: I Said Your Name to God
Tanner Olson, poet and founder of Written to Speak, pens a modern prayer for you, in his moving poem, “I Said Your Name to God.”

FEATURED: Walking in the King’s Park and Other Poems
Michael Stalcup writes about the loss of wonder in modernity and his beloved homeland in “Walking in the King’s Park” and other nature poems.

FEATURED: Flesh and Bones and Branches
In “Flesh and Bones and Branches,” poet Riley Morsman exalts nature, wonder, and poetry in her haunting and moving lines.

FEATURED: Instruction on Lasting and Other Poems
Jenna Wysong Filbrun explores her inner feelings and the world around her in “Instruction on Lasting,” “Dead Weight?” and “Pileated Woodpeckers.”

FEATURED: All Hallowed
In “All Hallowed,” poet Ashley Sposato meditates on the winter scene within and without as she finds herself delighting in these thin spaces.

FEATURED: Verdant
Follow Edward L. Holmes II, poet and podcaster, as he journeys into the wilderness with audacious hope in his poem “Verdant.”

FEATURED: Perspective in Yosemite
In her poetry, a multi-perspective entitled “Perspective in Yosemite,” poet and artist Kate Lab considers the mountains and trees and the deep meaning we can find when we understand who created these natural beauties.

FEATURED: American Landscape and Other Poems
Deborah Rutherford, poet and podcaster, explores the themes of faith, self-revelation, and wonder in her nature-driven poetry, like “American Landscape” and others.

Lament
Follow Bethany Colas into the woods as she seeks to learn from the trees in her beautiful poem entitled “Lament.”

Road Stop Refuge
Bethany Peck tells the tale of tragedy and the unexpected places the wild meets us in our journey toward peace and healing in her powerful prose poem “Road Stop Refuge.”
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.
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