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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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Tag: commentary

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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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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“The Tao of Christ” [poem, clouds, and intriguing back story]

February 21, 2022 ~ melanieweldonsoiset ~ 2 Comments

God spoke to me, and surprised me, through my own words as well as the words of a colleague this past week.

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What Benefits Do We Gain When We Share Poetry Together? An Interview with Redbud poets

April 6, 2021November 9, 2021 ~ melanieweldonsoiset ~ 1 Comment

What are poetry feedback groups, and why do they matter? Check out my article about my own experience of finding God through leading poetry feedback groups.

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What This Year’s Black History Month Taught Me About Protest and Poetry

February 25, 2021July 6, 2021 ~ melanieweldonsoiset ~ Leave a comment

This year, I've celebrated Black History Month by learning from Black artists and poets, past present, and future. The more I learn, the more I want to learn.

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Poetry as Cure for Being Gaslit

October 29, 2020January 23, 2021 ~ melanieweldonsoiset ~ Leave a comment

Poems (and psalms) alone are not sufficient to address injustice. But they can be a first step in the right direction.

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Why I Swapped Postcard Poetry with Strangers This Summer

October 8, 2020November 17, 2020 ~ melanieweldonsoiset ~ 1 Comment

Hint: it has something to do with the prophetic voice, wonder, and fire pits.

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Days of Awe: A Gentile Discovers Jewish Poetry

September 23, 2020September 25, 2020 ~ melanieweldonsoiset ~ 1 Comment

My recent enchantment with the long poetic tradition surrounding the Jewish holidays Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

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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

#ChurchToo Abditory Literary Magazine abuse Advent advice for new poets Amethyst Review announcement art Bible blessing book review centering prayer Cloud of Unknowing commentary contemplative practice COVID ekphrastic poetry embodiment everyday pandemic life feedback groups guest post home interview journey kintsugi memoir National Poetry Month neurodiversity poem poetic process poetry feedback group poetry process poetry prompt prayer Quitting Time serendipity sermon sonnet trauma Trinity Trinity Sunday war World War II wounds writing prompt

© 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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