About this project

There is no way home;
home is the way.
-Thich Nhat Hanh

Spontaneous Poems began in 2021 as a way to continue connecting with people through poetry during the summers of my MFA. At a local farmers’ market, I’d set up a small folding table with my Olympia Traveler De Luxe typewriter, composing on-the-spot poems on a topic of each person’s choosing. I’ve written hundreds of poems on countless topics, each meant to bring solace, perspective, and joy to its specific recipient. After five years, I’ve moved the project online in order to reach even more.

I’ve since completed my MFA and am currently a Buddhist Lay Minister in training through the Bright Dawn Center of Oneness Buddhism. My work is shaped by contemplative practice and by the belief that poetry is a way of coming home to ourselves just as we are. Not “fixing” anything or bypassing the world’s harsh realities, but meeting ourselves and the world with more openness and grace.

Home is not a destination, but a path we walk each day. Through reading and writing, poetry returns us to that path again and again.

How it works

Name a topic, and I will create a custom, typewritten poem and mail it to you.

You don’t need to know exactly what you’re looking for. You might:

  • describe something you’re moving through, healing from, or working toward

  • share a question, curiosity, or uncertainty

  • name a grief, joy, or moment you can’t put into words

  • request a gift for someone you love

  • or simply tell me where you are in life and what’s on your mind.

Of course, you can also ask for a specific topic or theme.

Whatever you offer, I’ll listen closely and write a poem in response. Each is typed and mailed as something you can hold and return to as a reminder of who you are, and that the path is the life you are already living.

Policies/Shipping/Refunds

Poem length varies; I try to match the content and form to the theme/topic you provide. With that said, they tend to be in the range of 12-30 lines.

I will never use AI to brainstorm, draft, revise, or edit your poem. All poems are my own original work.

Once ordered, I will mail your poem in three to five days.

If your poem doesn’t resonate, let me know within 30 days of receiving it for edits, a replacement, or a refund. 

If your poem is lost in transit, please get in touch with me as soon as possible, and I will send a replacement free of charge.

If your poem is a gift, I can send it directly to the recipient with a note from you; just let me know in your order notes.

All poems are written exclusively for their intended recipient; you are welcome to share them however you like. I may ask permission to share your poem (with your name and any other identifying details removed) for promotional purposes.

Please order again and again—I’d love to continue writing poems for you as you grow and journey through life.

Order a poem