Speaking Engagements — Can I Finally Relax?

Last night I had a speaking engagement with Cleveland Humanist Alliance. I had a really great time and it was so nice to meet freethinkers from my home state of Ohio! 

This whole process of having my poetry book published and now promoting it has really been quite the journey. I’m a pretty shy and anxious person so I never envisioned myself doing so many speaking engagements. I’m normally a nervous wreck on the day of an event but yesterday felt a little different. I was totally nervous but not to the same degree. Have I finally been doing this long enough that I can relax? Probably not but it’s getting a tiny bit easier. 

Even though I was a little more relaxed, last night was difficult. I’ve been sick recently. I had a fever last weekend. I have a cough and my sinuses are killing me. (FYI I’m fully vaccinated so I don’t think it’s covid.) I was just hoping I could make it through. Reading all those poems was tough. I was drinking lots of tea and blowing my nose throughout the presentation. But even with all that, I still think I did a good job.

All of the groups I have spoken to have been extremely welcoming. I’ve met many nice people and even with all the nerves, the presentations have been worth it. I like the discussions we have and it kind of makes me miss spending time with family and friends. I spend a lot of time alone and I normally like it that way but could I actually be craving a little social interaction? 

One thing that happened last night that was completely unexpected was the host shared her screen and showed everyone my Valentine’s Day video. Towards the end of my presentations, I always talk about other projects I’m working on. I mention the erotic poetry book and tell people if they’re curious about it, go to my blog and watch the video posted on Valentine’s Day. I thought I was going to pee my pants. I’m proud of that video but it was a little embarrassing listening to my erotic poetry after having read from Free to Roam: Poems from a Heathen Mommy. 

If you haven’t seen the video, I’m posting it below. In it, I read three poems from my erotic poetry book. This video is not safe for work or kids.

The speaking engagement I did last night was the last one I have planned right now, but I will be contacting more groups and hope to do more events soon. If you are in a group and up for a little secular poetry, contact me! I would love to speak to your group. 

Bye for now!

My poetry book, Free to Roam: Poems from a Heathen Mommy, gives an atheist perspective on being a Midwest Mom. It is for sale on my publisher’s site freethoughthouse.com, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. (Signed copies are available at freethoughthouse.com.)

FtB Mothers Day Anthology: One Anxious Mother

One Anxious Mother

 

One,
two,
three in the morning.
My heavy responsibility
barely weighs thirty pounds.
A resilient little girl
in pink leggings and dirt,
one little life
so fragile.
My stomach drops —
I can’t always protect her.
That sinking feeling
digs deeper in the middle of the night.
Nightmares of how I can lose her
on replay —
She’s drowning
and I can’t reach her.
She falls
and I’m too far away.
My worries
are a constant undercurrent.
There’s no escape.
She’s sleeping safe and sound —
I should be, too.

Poem from My Book — “Baptism”

Happy Thursday! Just sharing another poem from Free to Roam: Poems from a Heathen Mommy.

Be sure to check out Freethought Blogs this weekend for our Mothers Day fundraiser.

 

Baptism

Every innocent baby
is born tainted
new to the world
but on a direct path to Hell.

A cold splash of submission
followed by pictures and cake
saves their blank slate souls
and fulfills a family’s societal duty.

The child has been marked
for indoctrination, brainwashing,
and conformity—
a fresh young mind donning chains and shackles.

Water should just be water
in a meaningless ceremony
but it becomes a deadly weapon
recruiting for a dangerous army.

Let the well dry up
Let the children go free
Let’s defeat the army
that has imprisoned us all.

 

My poetry book gives an atheist perspective on being a Midwest Mom. It is for sale on my publisher’s site freethoughthouse.com, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. (Signed copies are available at freethoughthouse.com.)

The List — My Erotic Poetry Needs Some Inspiration

I’m about to get really personal.

I’m writing an erotic poetry book — most of which is written from real life. I’m rounding the bend. My goal was 70 – 80 poems and I am at 61. How do I wrap this up? My favorite poems in the collection are a little longer and tell a story. They’re a little more specific and detail a sequence of events. I need inspiration to keep this momentum up!

Enter “The List”.

To help me finish my book and have a little fun on the side, my husband and I are creating a list of things we want to try. Right now the list mostly contains fun, new locations, and maybe a sex tape.

Give me some ideas! Tell me something fun you’ve tried. Where’s the most interesting place you’ve had sex?

To say my husband and I have had fun in the making of this erotic poetry book would be a huge understatement. I just hope the fun continues when the book is finished!

Does anyone else talk to plants?

I have over thirty house plants. Some are big. Some are little. They live in almost every room in our house. It’s just been in the past couple of years I started collecting house plants and I’m completely fascinated by them. I love watching them grow. My daughter helps me water them and I put many of them outside in the summer. 

I have a snake plant that is just gigantic. We named him “Stanley”. We put him out on our front porch in the summer and it takes both my husband and I as well as a little dolly to move him. He was my very first house plant a few years back. 

Last night we had a snowstorm — five inches which is a record for a snowstorm in April in Northwest Ohio. I was so sad. We have tulips all over our yard and when the snow started to fall I ran outside with scissors and cut them all. We’re expecting a hard freeze tonight so I brought them inside and put them in water. At least we will have the flowers for a few more days. 

It was a surprise getting snow after already having a couple days in the 80’s this month but in Ohio, you begin to expect the unexpected. I’m absolutely fascinated by the weather and I live in the perfect place for that. Our winters are cold and windy, our summers are humid, and spring and fall are just unpredictable. Not to mention Toledo falls in the Hoosier Tornado Alley. 

Plants. Weather. These days I’m feeling a little more connected to nature. Any other atheists feeling that way? You got to admit, science and nature are absolutely awe-inspiring — especially when you take god out of the picture.

Some of the tulips I cut.

Worth It! My Nerves and Speaking Engagements

I’ve had quite a few speaking engagements in the past few months to promote my recently released poetry book. I had two just this past weekend. I always get really nervous and it’s hard for me to really get anything done on the day of an event. When the event is over, it’s an absolute rush, and then eventually I crash. It is this huge up and down and frankly, it’s quite exhausting.

However, it is absolutely worth it! I’ve met some great people and I’ve learned a lot. Prior to writing this book, I had no idea that there were atheist groups and secular communities all around — not just existing, but thriving and making a difference. 

The following poem sums up my experience of writing my poetry book. It’s from the last section — “Midwest Mom: Meatloaf and Revolution” — of my book, Free to Roam: Poems from a Heathen Mommy. 

 

Free to Roam 

Let questions swirl in my brain
as my eyes strain at the glow of the screen. 

I’m a tired mom from the heartland
with the world at my fingertips. 

Opportunities and choices are overwhelming
in a world becoming so small. 

My corner of the planet is now yours
as I peer into your faraway life. 

Once impossible connections are made
as I share my story with the world 

isolated but no longer alone.

 

My poetry book gives an atheist perspective on being a Midwest Mom. It is for sale on my publisher’s site freethoughthouse.com, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. (Signed copies are available at freethoughthouse.com.)

A Secular Childhood: Letters to My Daughter — no. 23 “Holidays”

Dear daughter,

By now I’m sure you know, I hate Christmas. I hate Christmas shopping. I hate Christmas carols, and I absolutely hate that Christmas seems to last the whole damn month of December. 

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Eat. Hang out with family and friends. Simple.

You are turning five at the end of the month, and this year you really enjoyed Easter. We had a couple egg hunts at home and at Pop Pop’s and you had a party at daycare. You even said it was your favorite holiday. (I know that’s subject to change.)

Our little family celebrates Christian holidays but not in very Christian ways. Older generations of our family were Christian so Easter and Christmas are traditions, but these days the traditions are secular and we’ve made them our own. Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are fun parts of childhood; Jesus is not required to give Christmas and Easter meaning.

My favorite part of any holiday is getting to spend time with our family.

My beautiful daughter — you are growing up and soon will start a life of your own. Make holidays your own as well. Whatever you do, celebrate what makes you happy.

Love,

Mom

Grounded

I’ve always liked this one…

Grounded

Ivory giggles and pink powder secrets
power an endless charade.
Let it all hang out
between the pews.
Just once
let the cold stares
see your delicate pearl.
Let lace and tumbleweed
caress your bare skin.
Let your fellow parishioners
blush with envy.
Let reality swallow you whole,
and you’ll realize
you don’t need to look to the skies—
satisfaction is found right here on the ground.

 

My poetry book gives an atheist perspective on being a Midwest Mom. It is for sale on my publisher’s site freethoughthouse.com, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. (Signed copies are available at freethoughthouse.com.)