For each of our pregnancies, I wrote sonnets dedicated to our new child. I don't have too much to offer in the way of quilting or woodworking, so creating some sort of functional heirloom isn't an option for me. Instead, I thought I would craft some of the ideas I thought most important for my kids to understand when they grew up, and I decided to do this in sonnet format. While the structure is modeled around childish notions (ABC's, 123's, Colors, etc), the content is about morality, theology, and the like. They are definitely ideas the kids will have to grow into. I hope that one day my children can read my sonnets and reflections and take them into their own hearts as they wrestle with their humanity, with God, and with how they are going to move out in the world. Until they grow into that, I hope these works will be of use to at least one other strange person out there who would take the time to read about epistemology or metaphysics in an archaic, poetic format.
For Elin I used an "ABC" theme and for Atticus I used a "123" theme. Each sonnet compilation was focused on conveying some truths about the world and God. Elin's sonnets were focused on morality and character while Atticus's sonnets were focused on ontology or the nature of how things are.
A few years ago, we lost our third baby. I had finished Baby K's sonnets about a week before we found out about the miscarriage. At first, I thought about how stupid I was for jumping the gun and writing all of these before knowing with more certainty about the pregnancy. But when I thought about it more, I was very happy that I had completed these, as my commitment to the value of life - regardless of how long that life is lived - makes the sonnets very meaningful to me. The work ended up being a great celebration of a life we never got to know, but one with which we hope to one day be united.
Fourth, there were Denton's sonnets. These are sonnets focused on directions, with each direction representing a political sort of idea. In the last two years I have read a lot on the Kingdom of God and have been forced to think hard about how a Christian should view politics as a means for their advancement of Christ's Kingdom. It has been a great journey of discovery and reorientation for me, as God had begin tearing down some of the idolatry I and my community have imposed onto today's political means.
Finally, there are Jemma's sonnets. These sonnets are centered around gemstones, with each one representing a portion of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). These chapters have been extremely influential in my Christian walk over the last few years as I've learned to take Jesus more seriously about what it means to follow him. You can read more about the structure of each sonnet on Kindle or in the document at the bottom of this post.
You can download the sonnets below, or get them for your Kindle here. I make them free as often as it allows me (about every 3-4 months). If you'd like to see any other poetry, you can find some here.
A few years ago, we lost our third baby. I had finished Baby K's sonnets about a week before we found out about the miscarriage. At first, I thought about how stupid I was for jumping the gun and writing all of these before knowing with more certainty about the pregnancy. But when I thought about it more, I was very happy that I had completed these, as my commitment to the value of life - regardless of how long that life is lived - makes the sonnets very meaningful to me. The work ended up being a great celebration of a life we never got to know, but one with which we hope to one day be united.
Fourth, there were Denton's sonnets. These are sonnets focused on directions, with each direction representing a political sort of idea. In the last two years I have read a lot on the Kingdom of God and have been forced to think hard about how a Christian should view politics as a means for their advancement of Christ's Kingdom. It has been a great journey of discovery and reorientation for me, as God had begin tearing down some of the idolatry I and my community have imposed onto today's political means.
Finally, there are Jemma's sonnets. These sonnets are centered around gemstones, with each one representing a portion of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). These chapters have been extremely influential in my Christian walk over the last few years as I've learned to take Jesus more seriously about what it means to follow him. You can read more about the structure of each sonnet on Kindle or in the document at the bottom of this post.
You can download the sonnets below, or get them for your Kindle here. I make them free as often as it allows me (about every 3-4 months). If you'd like to see any other poetry, you can find some here.
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