The Poet (delayed)

Episode 29: This Be the Verse by Philip Larkin

April 25th, 2024  |  Season 1  |  54 mins 21 secs

authenticity, intergenerational trauma, parenting, poetry, self discovery

I’m joined by my friend Tyler Mathis who reads Philip Larkin’s poem “This Be The Verse.” We discuss the trauma passed down from generation to generation and ways that we are dealing with it and hopefully breaking the chain.

Episode 28: Wild Geese by Mary Oliver

April 12th, 2024  |  Season 1  |  1 hr 25 secs

alignment, authenticity, mary oliver, poetry, self discovery, wild geese

I’m joined again by Josh Baron and we read Mary Oliver’s poem, Wild Geese, and discuss the idea that “we do not have to be good.”

Episode 27: The Capacity of Your Tears

November 25th, 2023  |  Season 1  |  1 hr 6 mins

asking for help, authenticity, hope, hopelessness, poetry, self discovery, tears

We can't do it all alone. Sometimes, we need to reach out for help and that's not always easy. In fact, in my experience, it's rarely easy. In this episode, I discuss three obstacles that get in my way of asking for help.

Episode 26: The Burning Comes First

November 7th, 2023  |  Season 1  |  25 mins 17 secs

authenticity, be brave, healing, kalen dion, mental health, phoenix rises, poetry, self discovery

Carl Jung said, “There is no coming to consciousness without pain.” My experience has been that this is true and in this episode, I use a poem by Kalen Dion as a way to introduce Jung’s concept and then discuss my experiences with change.

Episode 25: Terrible Potential (redux)

August 6th, 2023  |  Season 1  |  1 hr 4 mins

authenticity, childhood trauma, hope, mental health, personal responsibility, poetry, recovery, self discovery

In this episode, I revisit my poem, Terrible Potential, and talk about ways in which it applies to my recovery.

Episode 24: Love People Equally

May 8th, 2023  |  Season 1  |  36 mins 39 secs

authenticity, daughters, poetry, self discovery

My daughter Ruby and I were the only ones home, so I decided to record an episode of The Poet (delayed) with her. We talked about her track and field season that just finished up, softball, boys, poetry, music, flying fish and boys.

Episode 23: “…the catching of my whole heart”

May 3rd, 2023  |  Season 1  |  1 hr 38 mins

authenticity, individuation, poetry, self discovery, spiritual bypass

I was joined by my friend and poet, Kelli Stephens and she read her unnamed poem from which I grabbed the title of this episode, “…the catching of my whole heart.” We discussed healing, religion, leaving religion, finding yourself and finding peace in your sovereignty and much, much more.

Episode 22: Meaningful Life

April 11th, 2023  |  Season 1  |  1 hr 45 mins

authenticity, meaningfulness, mental health, poetry, self awareness, self discovery

I was joined by neuropsychologist Ben Christiansen in episode 22 of The Poet (delayed). We read my haiku, Meaningful Life and discussed what a meaningful life consists of and how we can work towards one. Hint: it involves math…well, equations at least.

Episode 21: Comprehend Yourself

April 7th, 2023  |  Season 1  |  1 hr 39 mins

authenticity, divinity, poetry, self discovery

In the summer of 1991, I nearly drown at Deer Creek Reservoir near Heber City, Utah. My poem, Comprehend Yourself, is a summary of that event, and in this episode of The Poet (delayed), Mechelle Wingle and I discuss that poem and its meaning and meanings.

Episode 20: They Were Beacons Once

March 6th, 2023  |  Season 1  |  1 hr 5 mins

addiction, authenticity, childhood trauma, gabor mate, johann hari, poetry, recovery, self discovery

In this episode of The Poet (delayed), I'm joined by Las Vegas based therapist, Brad Singletary as we read my poem, "They Were Beacons Once," and have a discussion about addiction, its cause and recovery.

Episode 19: Dark Canopy

February 27th, 2023  |  Season 1  |  1 hr 40 mins

authenticity, depression, hope, major depressive disorder, mdd, mental health, poetry, self discovery, situational depression

In this episode, I’m joined again by Jackie Pack as I read my poem Dark Canopy and we discuss depression.

Episode 18: I'm a Poet

February 20th, 2023  |  Season 1  |  57 mins 19 secs

authenticity, christopher silas neal, jennifer adams, pippa’s song, poet, poetry, robert browning, self discovery

I’m joined this episode by Salt Lake City based author, poet, editor and my new friend, Jennifer Adams. I read my poem, “I’m a Poet,” and we discuss the power of literature and poetry and then talk to her about her new children’s book, All’s Right With the World, that comes out March 7, 2023.

Episode 17: She is Steady and She Waits

January 23rd, 2023  |  Season 1  |  1 hr 34 secs

authenticity, cancer, hodgkin’s lymphoma, mental health, poetry, self discovery, truth

I was joined by Allison Spencer as we read and discussed my poem, She is Steady and She Waits. Allison was diagnosed with Stage 2 Unfavorable Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. (By the way, “unfavorable”? Who comes up with these terms, soccer match announcers? - “That was unlucky!”) But as terrifying as that was, she rose up to battle and, with the help of family, friends and competent medical providers, she waged battle as a head shorn warrior and the cancer is now in remission.

Episode 16: Nirvana

December 19th, 2022  |  Season 1  |  1 hr 1 min

authenticity, depression, mental health, mental health awareness, nirvana, poetry, self discovery, suicide, suicide prevention

TRIGGER WARNING: Suicide is discussed in this episode. If anyone listening is struggling with suicidal ideation, please reach out to a friend or family member. There is also a national hotline in the USA that you can call: 988.

I was joined by Monte Wingle as I ready my poem, Nirvana, and we discussed thoughts and ideas that came. Also, in the spirit of craving nothingness, we visited True Rest Float Spa to experience their float tank and see how close we could get to nothingness.

Episode 15: Terrible Potential

November 12th, 2022  |  Season 1  |  1 hr 20 mins

authenticity, fear, know thyself, nietzsche, poetry, self discovery

In this episode, I was joined by my nephew, Justin “Justino” Foster. I read my poem “Terrible Potential” and Justino and had a great discussion about the themes in the poem.

Episode 14: Beacons

October 27th, 2022  |  Season 1  |  51 mins 3 secs

authenticity, beacons, poetry, self discovery

I’m joined again by Aunt Kash to discuss people who’ve been beacons in our lives as well as our being beacons in the lives of others.