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Melanie Weldon-Soiset

Melanie Weldon-Soiset

Connecting curious people with poetry and prayer so that we can find our true homes

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Category: Sacred Verse: Poetry, Prayer, and Faith

What Makes a Poem a Prayer? What Makes a Prayer a Poem? [guest commentary]

May 23, 2023 ~ melanieweldonsoiset ~ Leave a comment

My friend and colleague Julia Rocchi considers crucial questions regarding the relationship between poetry and prayer.

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In Search of the Ineffable: A Review of The Trees Witness Everything, by Victoria Chang [book review]

April 25, 2023April 29, 2023 ~ melanieweldonsoiset ~ Leave a comment

Check out my recent book review for "The Trees Witness Everything" by Victoria Chang, whose poetry offers a thrilling pursuit of what cannot be described.

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Perichoresis: Divine Choreography [poem, and “scattershot” form commentary]

April 17, 2023April 17, 2023 ~ melanieweldonsoiset ~ Leave a comment

Check out my poem "Perichoresis: Divine Choreography," including commentary on the word "perichoresis," and the form I use in this poem, which I'm calling "scattershot."

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God & Money: A Prayer

March 6, 2023March 22, 2023 ~ melanieweldonsoiset ~ Leave a comment

What does our faith have to say about money? And how can we respond with hope and truth to growing inequalities in our world? This prayer (and commentary) offer one way forward.

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Why the Stakes are High: Poetry, the Bible, & the Slaughter of the Innocents [commentary & sonnet]

December 27, 2022February 23, 2023 ~ melanieweldonsoiset ~ Leave a comment

How does poetry impact our spiritual formation, as well as our ability to read the Bible? The challenging text of the slaughter of the innocents in Matthew 2 offers a powerful case study.

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“Etymology of the Word ‘Parable'” [contest-winning cinquain poem]

December 23, 2022March 21, 2023 ~ melanieweldonsoiset ~ Leave a comment

I'm thrilled to announce that my poem, "Etymology of the Word 'Parable,'" has won the 2022 WWPH Writes the Holidays Contest :). Check out my poem, and an explanation of its form, here.

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“Autobiography of an Origami Lantern” [poem]

June 22, 2022February 23, 2023 ~ melanieweldonsoiset ~ Leave a comment

Check out my new poem "Autobiography of an Origami Lantern," a poem whose insights surprised me after I gave myself permission to play with origami earlier this year.

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“Cabin Fever Compels Me to Bike to the Anacostia River” [verse paragraph poem]

May 9, 2022March 22, 2023 ~ melanieweldonsoiset ~ Leave a comment

Check out my verse paragraph poem "Cabin Fever Compels Me to Bike to the Anacostia River," along with an explanation of the verse paragraph form, some famous contemporary examples, and a verse paragraph writing prompt!

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“A Turn in the River” [chiastic poem]

May 2, 2022March 13, 2023 ~ melanieweldonsoiset ~ 1 Comment

Check out my new poem "A Turn in the River," and learn about the ancient (and Biblical!) poetic form known as chiasm.

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Walking with the Tender Awe of Poetry: A Hand of Blessing on Ashes

April 6, 2022May 2, 2023 ~ melanieweldonsoiset ~ 2 Comments

As guest contributor Darcy Wiley notes, "Poetry may not solve problems, but it often de-centers them, bending toward small creatures and hidden moments."

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My name is Melanie, and I’ve worn many labels over the years: poet, pastor, teacher, student, immigrant, #ChurchToo survivor. I’ve learned, however, that the label that fits best is “child of God.” One day that phrase will be my epitaph. Until then, you’ll find me at my best resting in a hammock, biking on local DC green ways, or enjoying a fire by the hearth on a cold winter’s night.

Categories of Poetry Posts

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© Melanie Weldon-Soiset, 2023. This web site is the online home for my creative endeavors. The content offered here does not necessarily reflect that of my church, and/or any other employment that I have. To quote excerpts online, please link back to my original article. For all other uses, please contact me. Thank you. 

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