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.
Cat Nap Revival and Other Poems
In her poetry, Elizabeth Hudgens writes about longing, perseverance, and revival through creative metaphors.
His Majesty on Display and Other Poems
In her poems, Pat Severin mediates on God’s majesty through the vast beauty of nature.
Holy Spirit, Help
Nathaniel Evans poem, “Holy Spirit, Help,” reads like a fervent prayer, as he asks God’s Holy Spirit to help him through his faith walk and the difficulties of this life.
Winter Morning on the Wyoming Border (Pushcart Nominated)
In his poem “Winter Morning on the Wyoming Border,” Nicholas Trandahl praises the river while camping, as he meditates on its raw beauty and the natural cycles of God’s divine order.
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.
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.
Grizzly Bear Creek
In his poem “Grizzly Bear Creek,” poet Nicholas Trandahl’s respite after a hike becomes a song for October in the wilderness, as he observes all of God’s creation—large and small.
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.
Sight + Sound
In her poem “Sight + Sound,” Clare Weigel takes her readers on an emotional journey, as she grapples with the difficulties and blessings of experiencing life as a woman who is deafblind.
Hermitage
In his poem “Hermitage,” poet Nicholas Trandahl’s imagines the quiet lives of sacred men and their ancient acts of friendship and contemplation.
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.
Infinite Joy and The Common Life
In his two devotionals, “Infinite Joy” and “The Common Life,” J. Michael Dyck mediates on what makes a good life in Christ. Citing C.S. Lewis and personal insights, his words call us back to a quieter life in a world that has gone loud.
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.
Boating in the Open Ocean
In his poem “Boating in the Open Ocean,” Andrew Roberts crafts a compelling narrative and metaphor for man’s struggle against the natural and spiritual world.
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.
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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