March 10, 1939 to March 1, 2026 “I am sure most of you would agree – my mother was unique. Some of you have shared wonderful notes and words to describe her many qualities. One that stands out to me is her determination. When she was determined to learn something, she never gave up. In the late 1960’s she wanted to learn more about meditation.” Debby McIsaac - McRock from her Eulogy on April 18, 2026 Self Realization Temple, Encinitas, CA I am writing to you in appreciation

You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this. ~ Henry David Thoreau Dear Friends of Poetic Medicine, Is there a moment today you especially paused to treasure? By “treasure” I mean that a precious moment and what was happening within it met your heart space and you felt lifted, even expanded, infu

Dear Friend of Poetic Medicine, I hope that you are well enough. Thank you for being interested in us. I can’t know but I can imagine you may be troubled, even very troubled, by what is happening on national and international dimensions. We the People , are people who treasure justice and inclusivity. We do our best to practice compassion and kindness. We are intent on being sensitive to the real needs of people – especially sensitive to the needs of the most vulnerable among

Dear Friend of Poetic Medicine, …whose morning-time begins, like fresh linen smoothed flat by the weathered hands of this one life That’s Where You Can Hear Good Singing These lines I am drawing out from my poem January 1 say that in some way we, that you and I, even with our weathered hands, have fresh linen to start this year with. I have quoted this from Rainer Maria Rilke many times: You must give birth to your images. They are the future waiting to be born. I want our fu

Dear Friend of Poetic Medicine, Thriving & Comfort, in the Room Together I hope you are well and thriving. This time of year, a transitional passage into the new, could be considered a place where you envision the possible. I cheer that possible for you. If this letter finds you in a more difficult place, I am sending gentle encouragement and comfort. Comfort? Yes, comfort may be what most of us long for, especially in these days of harsh, hurtful actions and rhetoric in some

Dear Poetic Medicine Friends, The months roll on and on! This morning I am feeling that this is different than what relationships are about. When I begin this letter “Dear Poetic Medicine Friends” I slow down and someone’s face will appear. I slow down and drop inside to hear what my heart wants to say to you. The Choice to Slow Down In order to “drop inside” I slow down. I must slow down. Wherever that mysterious place is, the clock isn’t ticking. Good fortune my heart is be

Dear Friend of Poetic Medicine, To begin this letter I want to pause to remember Mari Alschuler -- an important person in my experience...

June 15, 2025 Dear Poetic Medicine Friend, I am astonished that I date this letter as being written on June 15. Ohmigod, half of this...

Dear Poetic Medicine Friend, Good day to you! It is my strong hope that this letter finds you well, even thriving. My hope is touched...

I introduced my letter to you with the subtitle If You Put Your Foot Down in this Landscape . What follows here is a portion of that...

April 8, 2025 Dear Poetic Medicine Friends, Poetry is not a very popular art form these days, but it is an essential part of human life. ...

A Blessing for the Woods Before I leave, almost without noticing, before I cross the road and head out to what I have intentionally postponed – Let me stop to say a blessing for these woods: for crows barking and squirrels scampering, for trees and fungus and multi-colored leaves, for the way sunlight laces shadows through each branch and leaf of tree, for these paths that take me in, for these paths that lead me out. Michael S. Glaser Michael Glaser It was in 2014