This poem is about an age of innocence and the importance of exploration, imagination, and creativity in youth, inspired by Seamus Heaney’s “Digging.”

This poem is about place, as an observer from a high-speed train crossing from Germany into the Czech Republic. It is a poem of speculation and imagination as I move across the car in the waking hours.

Fed by a prompt, this poem captures the fragility of millions of people living in the shadows of San Salvador's dormant volcano.

Ted Kooser’s “A Birthday Card” inspired this poem. The idea of this work is to share the sense of an active imagination while being firmly rooted in the hardship of one local - a remote campsite.

An everyday observation of the Texas hunting culture and its provisions for those in need.

The poem came out of the joy I find returning to my roots, sitting around the coffee table at The Dairy Queen with my elders.

This poem of heritage reflects upon the lost power and control of Paris, once one of the most influential cities of Texas.

Author’s note:  The dominance of Salvadoran gangs and efforts to end them have left loved ones of the imprisoned helpless, where many are first held in a little jail on the streets of San Salvador, El Penalito, which has been referred to as ground zero for perhaps the most aggressive police repression in Central American history. I have seen it. Here is my poem recollecting my introduction to both the conditions of El Salvador’s prisons and the actions of its detainees.

A prompt-fed poem looking at the horrors of an evacuation crisis in Afghanistan fed by a sudden change of direction in foreign policy.

At first glance, the Tangram (qiqiao bon) offers its player only “seven boards of skill,” but can yield thousands of worldly designs, proving that sometimes the simplest things are surprisingly complex.

Years ago, standing on the rooftops of San Miguel de Allende, I was struck by its unparalleled beauty. Walking its streets, one can't help but fall in love with its magic—vibrant arts, colonial architecture, cozy cafes, and cobblestone paths. It's a destination ripe for romance and weddings. This poem captures the enchanting tradition of the Mexican callejoneada—a lively wedding procession filled with music and celebration through the streets of San Miguel De Allende.