I began writing poetry again when I created my main website, Not This Song. That site contains my essays about recovering from drug addiction, living with mental illness, postponing suicide in quirky ways and otherwise using the power of creativity to get through the day. I found myself creating poems as well. At first, I planned to publish my poems on this site, but I have learned that placing a poem draft anywhere accessible to the public, even a blog, makes it unable to be submitted to most publications. So this site will be thoughts about writing and reading poetry, along with any notes I might have about my journeys in the world of submissions.

My poetry–good, bad or in between–has become a tool for my inner work, a searing affirmation of my right to live and create, and my playground of the soul. If I had my way there’d be poetry writing workshops in every rehab, psych ward and prison. Every time I write a poem, I struggle against the critical voices we have all heard. The same voices, in my case, that try to convince me to relapse on drugs or not take care of my mental health. Every poem I shape is an answer to those voices: Not today.