Category Archives: Poetry

For many years, I have poured my heart into the work of peace — not as a distant ideal, but as a daily practice, a quiet commitment made and remade with each passing season. And yet, for much of that … Continue reading →

For much of my life, I have had to deal with bullies and dishonest people who held positions over me. Most of the time, I have just walked away from the job or situation, frustrated, yes, but confident that the … Continue reading →

As a species, we have repeatedly acted on inherited prejudices, convincing ourselves that certain groups are somehow less human, less deserving of dignity—or even of life itself. In doing so, we have committed atrocities while telling ourselves they were necessary, … Continue reading →

The questions came early.They first surfaced in Mr. Timmer’s Sunday School class at Olivet Reformed Church in Grandville. I didn’t intend to embarrass him by asking what he could not answer, but at that age, there was no one else … Continue reading →

For my 70th birthday, I flew from Cambodia to Bar Harbor, Maine, to see my dear friend Gail Gutrudt for what I knew would be the last time. She was dying of cancer, and the hospital had called to say … Continue reading →

I wrote this poem while recovering from wounds at the Bethesda Naval Hospital in 1969. I was the last person to leave the battlefield alive. The eleven Marines who threw me on the medivac chopper were all dead a few … Continue reading →

Here is just a simple poem that I keep somewhere close to me, just to remind myself not to get too attached to things, because I still have a long way to go.

This verse was one of the first things I wrote for the opening of my original STATEMENT OF PASSIONS AND BELIEFS, which got me fired from the mission field. I was having trouble with the wording of it. I knew … Continue reading →

This is one of my best-received pieces, most likely because it brings back a unique memory for each reader. I have created three versions of it… one for when the memory makes me sad or lonely, one for when I … Continue reading →