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.)

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.)

Forbidden

Sharing another poem from Free to Roam: Poems from a Heathen Mommy.

 

Forbidden

I’m drowning in your choppy sea of innocence.
You’re ass-deep in constricting dogma.

If you got your chance,
what would you do to me?

Green eyes and icy fingertips stripping me naked,
a bite that burns with intention.

Would you pin me down out of years of frustration
or newfound emancipation? We’ll never know.

This secret fantasy only plays out in your head
because god is always watching.

Sweet dreams, farm boy.
I’m going home to wash your shame off my dress.

 

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.

Thrive

Sharing another poem from my book, Free to Roam: Poems from a Heathen Mommy.

Thrive

(a message to my younger self)

Thrive
among the stares
meant to strip your future naked.

Thrive
among the words
meant to leave your outlook tainted.

Thrive
outside the conformity
of the minds no longer free.

Thrive
free of the Book
that binds their hands and knees.

Thrive
in your community
on the outside looking in.

Thrive
among your neighbors
ignoring their own sin.

Thrive
because you’re strong
and love will always win.

 

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.

Housewife (Pandemic Poetry)

Housewife

 

Are you thinking of me?
Is there a slim chance
you took a peek, too?
Hasty search —
I saw you smile
and you didn’t even know it.
Your existence is a mystery
that my life yearns for.
I want to be a fly
on your faraway wall.
I want to escape
the outside forces
and selfishly indulge
in matters only of the flesh.
For once, I’m not a mom or a wife —
just a woman
wanting something new, carnal.
This lonely housewife
longs to be touched by a stranger.
I don’t want to lose what I have —
just a brief taste
of something different,
forbidden.
My whole world is in this little house
but in my mind, I rule a kingdom.
I close my eyes
and have a secret encounter
but when I open them
my life remains intact.
You’re my passionate escape —
anytime, anywhere —
that keeps this queen moving forward
and you’ll never know it.
A little excitement
in this all-too-ordinary life.

Another poem from my upcoming book! :)

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, Free to Roam: Poems from a Heathen Mommy, will be released on February 2nd and my launch party will be that night! Here is the Facebook event. I will read some poems and there will be a Q & A. The event begins at 7:30 pm EST.

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.

 

Come to My Launch Party!! 2/2/21 @ 7:30 pm EST

My poetry book, Free to Roam: Poems from a Heathen Mommy, will be released on February 2nd and my launch party will be that night! Here is the Facebook event. I will read some poems and there will be a Q & A. The event begins at 7:30 pm EST.

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.

 

Promoting My Book and Getting to Know the Atheist Community

I had a lot of fun hanging out with Kansas City Oasis a couple weeks ago. Their group blew me away! I had no idea that there were active communities like theirs out there! I hope to hang out with them again sometime.

Later this month I will be speaking to Offutt Humanists and the Omaha Metro Area Humanists Association. I’m excited to meet them!

In February, I will have my launch party with my publisher and I will be speaking at Nottingham Secular Society’s Darwin Lecture.

It’s been great seeing what’s out there beyond Toledo’s city limits in hopes of building a stronger atheist community here. This has been quite an adventure!

If anyone has a group that’s curious about atheist poetry, please contact me! I would love to meet with you and read from my book!

(If you’re curious, my poetry book is called, Free to Roam: Poems from a Heathen Mommy, and will be released 2/2/21. It is for sale on my publisher’s site freethoughthouse.com, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.)

“Soul Searching” – What’s Your Story?

This is a poem from my upcoming book:

 

How do you sleep?

Indigo rain cleansing my brain
after a restless night of “soul searching”.
Relief comes when you realize god isn’t real
and you’re released from your rusty chains.

An outlook of debilitating winter
melts and sizzles into freedom.
Like fresh linen under the morning sun —
I put my heart out on the line and won.

I’m the shy queen of my ruby paradise
which resides right here on earth.
I no longer yearn for a flimsy mystery in the clouds.
Breathe deep into the truth and sleep peacefully.

 

What was your “soul searching” like? How many religions/spiritual beliefs did you go through before concluding god isn’t real?

I went to church with friends for a short time when I was younger. I just didn’t get it. I couldn’t see what everybody else saw and everything seemed ridiculous. Then as a teen, I dabbled in Wicca. With a foundation in nature it made a teeny bit more sense than Christianity, but not much. I remember feeling a lot of confusion growing up. Then at 21, I declared I was an atheist and things were simple and clear.

So what’s your story? Did you try out other religions?

 

(If you’re curious, my poetry book is called, Free to Roam: Poems from a Heathen Mommy, and will be released 2/2/21. It is for sale on my publisher’s site freethoughthouse.com, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.)