Institute for Poetic Medicine

09/25/2026

The equinox was on Tuesday! For those of us in the northern hemisphere this means we are now in Autumn; those in the southern hemisphere are now in Spring. Happy season change to all!

09/12/2026

09/03/2026

To here Eugene Wolf read the late great Wendell Berry's poem "The Sycamore" click here: https://www.facebook.com/InstituteForPoeticMedicine/posts/pfbid02FdxLoKuPpifCXxWQHLUbRDxK6DhiNzrYk8rET8D1XcW3PSKsq4FicH2AcSw6sCswl

08/01/2026

Happy August!
See more about upcoming Poetic Medicine opportunities at poeticmedicine.org

07/10/2026

Joy Harjo is an American poet, musician, playwright, and author. She served as the 23rd United States poet laureate from 2019 to 2022, the first Native American to hold that honor. She was also only the second Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to have served three terms (after Robert Pinsky). Harjo is a seventh-generation Monahwee daughter (also known as "Menawa"). Additionally, Harjo is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation (Este Mvskokvlke) and belongs to Oce Vpofv (Hickory Ground). She is an important figure in the second wave of the literary Native American Renaissance of the late 20th century. She studied at the Institute of American Indian Arts, completed her undergraduate degree at University of New Mexico in 1976, and earned an MFA degree at the University of Iowa in its creative writing program.

Her signature project as U.S. Poet Laureate was called Living Nations, Living Words: A Map of First Peoples Poetry; it focused on "mapping the U.S. with Native Nations poets and poems".

- Wikipedia (wikipedia.org/wiki/Joy_Harjo)

07/04/2026

This July 4th, Independence Day:

06/22/2026

Happy Summer Solstice to those in the northern hemisphere and Winter Solstice to those in the southern hemisphere!

"This solstice marks the official beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, occurring when Earth arrives at the point in its orbit where the North Pole is at its maximum tilt (about 23.5 degrees) toward the Sun, resulting in the longest day and shortest night of the calendar year. (By longest “day,” we mean the longest period of sunlight hours.) On the day of the June solstice, the Northern Hemisphere receives sunlight at the most direct angle of the year."

-The Farmer's Almanac

06/21/2026

On my mind ... and heart ... is honoring and sending love to my father Jim Fox.

Because he smoked, and could not quit, he died from serious emphysema in October of 1996.
He was 74 years-old.

Dad and I had a contentious relationship for much of our lives. I could have done better. I could have opened my heart.

I am posting Planting Larch that captures this contention – and names a sacred moment of profound connection just before he died that happened between us.

Dad was who he was. Looking past my difficulties, so much of who he was is a man of care, integrity, compassion and a dedication to help people -- especially his daughters who both had special needs.

Pictured are my late sister, Shelley and Holly, as children and then as adults. In the first photo, Holly is on the left and in the photo of them as adults, it is reversed.

He extended that commitment to his daughters to take helpful action for many others with special needs. Jim Fox, Corporal honors that way of living his life.

06/20/2026

We are pleased to honor Juneteenth by posting this poem by Jacinta White. This national holiday of celebration, with the roots it brings, evokes a deep response. We are deeply concerned about injustices in this country, which are rife these days, injustices happening to Black and Brown people — to limit or eliminate their voting franchise, to erase the dark history of slavery in public places, to stop the active practice of diversity, equality and inclusiveness, to terrorize, imprison and deport refugees and immigrants, to normalize hatred and discrimination.

We are speaking up to call out and name what is wrong. We believe it is possible for our greater Poetic Medicine community to also speak up — or we can say to write up your voice — on what is happening.