Not long ago, I read a sweet post over at Glynn Young's. He took this Thanksgiving season as a chance to celebrate some of his fellow bloggers.I liked that idea— to use this season in celebration of others. So I thought to celebrate my two girls today by sharing their writing (and a drawing) with the world. "I Love You, Mommy"The crickets chirp, thedog barks, the soundsarise, the sounds ofdark.— by Sonia, 10, for me on a day I was sad• • •The beginning of a story...Thunder rolls i... Read Full Story

Trudging through fallen leaves, we rounded the corner and there they were. Cherries. Or something that looked like cherries.The tree was hung with them. So full.And all we could do was stand still, in the cool air, on a grey day, and stare.The Thanksgiving Tree, in soft pastels, by L.L. Barkat Read Full Story

Sometimes words escape me. Like tonight.Then I reach back and find something written at another time......like this simple poem, which you will find in the upcoming collection, along with much longer poems of course. My dad (I know you're reading this! :) doubts that two or three lines qualify as poetry. I tease him, saying he hasn't read much haiku. He laughs back and says, "True."To me, poetry is the capturing of something essential, emotional, full— regardless of how many words it ta... Read Full Story

Take a stroll with me, and I will listen. The woods are quiet and we can take our time.When you come to a clearing, look up and think. Is this the place? Is this how you feel when you are in my poems?Maybe a darker scene will do? How does it feel? Right for the words you are used to from me?Or perhaps this is a better place? Does it evoke the voice, as you remember it in my poems?You might think about it this way too: which would you prefer to set on your bedside table, or hold in your hands?... Read Full Story

It's part of our world, this violence, says Laura Boggess in response to the next chapter in Gerald May's Wisdom of Wilderness.I sit at my keyboard, wish for something profound to say, to add to a hard but good conversation. Nothing comes.Instead I remember a morning practice, born in desperation, when ordinary word-prayer seemed powerless to help me meet the days in an urban classroom that had no crayons, no paper, no math books, one tiny shelf of picture books, no teaching assistant, 30 kid... Read Full Story

I write in the dark...andI write despite...Teahouse in Granada Spain, photo by L.L. Barkat.POETRY FRIDAY:Glynn’s David, HillsideKelly’s eve’s regretLinda’s Redeemer/LoverMonica’s Han and Leia On a DateBina’s Mrs. DeWinter’s Nighttime HonestynAncY’s meeleyKelly’s tensionLaura’s FruitMaureen’s Woman in His LifeA Simple Country Girl’s Autumn DanceSojourner’s AdorationMaureen’s Last Words with Her ExecutionerTravelmom's Love Read Full Story

Stone Crossings: Finding Grace in Hard and Hidden Places is going to be featured on Beliefnet in early December, thanks to the creative mind (and gracious heart) of Joan P. Ball, author of the upcoming book Flirting with Faith: My Spiritual Journey from Atheism to a Faith-Filled Life.If you post about Stone Crossings between now and then and drop your post link here (or there) so we don't miss you, you'll get a chance to be featured on Beliefnet. Five posts will be chosen for feature over fiv... Read Full Story

The post got 1200+ views. Almost 200 came through Twitter.That's significant.Which means it wouldn't hurt to make oneself more tweetable. Here's my new tool of choice: Tweetmeme.Okay, load it up and help me tweet you. I am SO waiting to click that cool little button and send some traffic your way.(To load Tweetmeme for Blogger, go here To load Tweetmeme for Wordpress, go here) Note that the new Blogger Layouts template seems to be problematic when trying to get Tweetmeme's generated code. I'v... Read Full Story

When you grow up like I did, you try to know-it-all. Everything depends on it. Supposedly.It has been a long time since "growing up", but still some strange place in your head never quite forgives you for not holding together what was never in your power to hold together anyhow— your parent's marriage, hoped-for joys of holidays and ordinary days quashed by volatility, or some other such thing.Trying to be right, to know it all, brings the need for control; after all, it's so much easie... Read Full Story

I'm always up for trying something new. So when the Twitter people offered a Beta chance to create lists, why I set right to it over at @llbarkat.One day into the endeavor and I'm already doubting the usefulness of Twitter lists. For me anyhow. Oh, I see that marketers would find it very useful and journalists perhaps, for targeting and scanning and so forth. But my Social Media life is quite organic. I hang out with people I can put on lists (and I have already done it), but the truth is I l... Read Full Story