"Writing was a spiritual exercise for my father, the only thing he really believed in."
— Mark Vonnegut
American Writer
1947 -
Writing for me is a spiritual exercise. I did not realize until I read an essay a year ago in which Mark Vonnegut talks about his father, Kurt, one of my favorite authors. The quote opened for me the door into why I have spent 35 years writing without fame or fortune. Since I rejected organized religion at age 18, writing became the spiritual road I walked. Writing gave my soul the strength necessary to face the traumas of this world. I was called to be a preacher but I could not preach until I first cleansed my soul and made it strong through writing. The writing is what makes me whole, gives meaning to my life, and keeps me believing even when I feel there is nothing left to live for. Here is a short poem I wrote a year ago today.
May your heart
be fluent
in the languages
spoken by God
that you
may understand
the healing power of His love.
