In honor of EMS Week and Mental Health Awareness Month, read a raw excerpt from The Quiet After the Sirens—a memoir about trauma, silence, and survival.
Read MoreWalking Through Fire: A Warrior’s Reflection for Mental Health Awareness Month
The first of May rises not just with spring’s fragile bloom but with the tremble of a war drum echoing deep within my chest. Today marks the beginning of Mental Health Awareness Month, and for those like me—those who wear their wounds beneath the skin …
Read More“Her Final Breath, My Last Choice”
On April 20th, five years ago, I had to make the most painful decision of my life—from a Zoom call. My sister was dying, and I was her healthcare proxy. While my mother and niece sat at her bedside, I gave the word to let her go. That moment changed me forever. I carry it into every EMS shift, every sleepless night, and every word I write. Today, I remember her—not as the woman we lost, but as my sister. The one I tried to save, even from a distance. The Quiet After the Sirens began with her silence.
Read MoreNaPoWriMo Day 7 “Why I Am Not a Symphony”
Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt: Write a poem explaining why you are not a work of art. Mine? A chaotic self-portrait in sound. I am not a symphony.
Read MoreWe Played Terribly
By @RWhiteAuthor Day 5 of NaPoWriMo prompt is inspired by musical notation, and particularly those little italicized –and often Italian – instructions you’ll find over the staves in sheet music, like con allegro or andante. First, pick a notation from the first column below. Then, pick …
Read More“The Painting by the Window”
By @RWhiteAuthor Today’s (optional) prompt. In her poem, “Living with a Painting,” Denise Levertov describes just that. And well, that’s a pretty universal experience, isn’t it? It’s the rare human structure – be it a bedroom, kitchen, dentist’s office, or classroom – that doesn’t have art …
Read MoreWhy I Am Not a Painter
By @RWhiteAuthor Day 3 Prompt: The American poet Frank O’Hara was an art critic and friend to numerous painters and poets In New York City in the 1950s and 60s. His poems feature a breezy, funny, conversational style. His poem “Why I Am Not a Painter” is …
Read MoreNaPoWriMo Day 2: From Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra
Drawn from Friedrich Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra, this blackout poem explores the philosophy of self-overcoming. Nietzsche famously wrote, “One must have chaos within to give birth to a dancing star.” This piece embraces that tension—how darkness, struggle, and the unknown shape transformation. The erasure leaves behind fragments of existential battle and ascent, mirroring the journey of one who dares to evolve beyond their former self.
Read MoreMarch of the Writers – Day 31: To Be Continued…
By @RWhiteAuthor As March comes to a close, so does this incredible journey through March of the Writers. For 31 days, we’ve explored our passions, reflected on our inspirations, shared our challenges, and celebrated our writing lives. Each day has been a new opportunity to …
Read MoreMarch of the Writers Day 29: 🥃 Writer Fuel Pt. 3: Reward Time! 📖
Writing takes dedication, but so does rewarding yourself! Whether it’s a glass of whiskey, a great indie author show, or finding the perfect new journal, celebrating the hard work we put into our words is essential. What’s your go-to reward after a long writing session?
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