Tag Archives: Poetry

The Circuit Rider

Posted on August 29, 2014 by michaelwilliamsstories

It has been a long time since I have posted a poem and it feels like I have been working to revise this one forever. Originally published in 1979, I have been working on it off and on ever since. … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Creativity, Faith, God, grandfather, Imagination, marriage, Poetry, Preaching, Spiritual Practices, Stories, Tennessee | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Three Poems for the Season

Posted on December 9, 2013 by michaelwilliamsstories

The choir and brass yesterday at the West End UMC Choir Concert were absolutely inspiring. I have been asked to share the texts of the three poems I wrote, and which I read during as part of the concert yesterday … Continue reading →

Posted in Advent, Creativity, Imagination, Poetry, Spiritual Practices, Uncategorized, West End United Methodist Church | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

A Poem for Lucien Stryk

Posted on December 7, 2013 by michaelwilliamsstories

The poet and  collector of poems, both Midwestern and Zen, and Professor for many year at Northern Illinois University, Lucien Stryk died this past January. Though I only met him once at a reading at Northwestern his poems and those … Continue reading →

Posted in Chicago, Creativity, Imagination, Poetry, Stories, Uncategorized, Zen | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Song of the Shaman

Posted on November 12, 2013 by michaelwilliamsstories

I first learned about shamans when I was an undergraduate student at Vanderbilt University in a class called “The Phenomenology of Religion”. It was taught by one of my favorite professors, Dr. Charles Hambrick. I now have the pleasure of … Continue reading →

Posted in Chicago, Joseph Campbell, Leland Roloff, Northwestern, Oral Interpretation, Poetry, Religion and Spirituality, Seminary, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

News Flash: I don’t know what I’m doing!

Posted on October 10, 2013 by michaelwilliamsstories

Let me confess something; I don’t know what I’m doing. That doesn’t just apply to blogging, although that should be apparent to anyone who has been following my ruminations. What I mean to say is that in most areas of … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Creativity, Faith, God, Imagination, Improv, Poetry, Preaching, Seminary, Spiritual Practices, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Entering the Seminary

Posted on October 1, 2013 by michaelwilliamsstories

I arrived in Evanston, Illinois in the Fall of 1973 to attend Garrett Theological Seminary the graduate school of theology at Northwestern University. (It would become Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary the following year. This photo is of a 23 year old … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Faith, God, Hebrew Bible, Imagination, Jabez, Northwestern, Poetry, Seminary, Spiritual Practices, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Grandfather’s Ways

Posted on September 20, 2013 by michaelwilliamsstories

Some of my earliest memories are set on the porch of my mother’s home place in Stewart County, Tennessee. The house stood on a hill above Crockett’s Creek. It was in a porch swing there that I heard stories for … Continue reading →

Posted in grandfather, Poetry, Stories, Tennessee, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Mad King Weeps the Loss of His Son

Posted on September 13, 2013 by michaelwilliamsstories

This is the first poem that I was fortunate enough to have published in a journal. It appeared in 1972 as a part of the Fall issue of The Southern Poetry Review. I was 21 years old and thought that … Continue reading →

Posted in Creativity, Faith, Imagination, Poetry, Stories, Uncategorized, Youth | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Looking Forward

Posted on September 11, 2013 by michaelwilliamsstories

Today is the twelfth anniversary of 9/11 and I have been wondering how I should respond. Should I tell the story of what I was doing that morning? Should I grieve that an opportunity to bring people of different faiths … Continue reading →

Posted in 9/11, Creativity, Imagination, Poetry, Stories | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment