A heartfelt hug from across the border. Living in Alberta, moved here 20 years ago from Germany your words about sometimes not appreciating 'home' enough felt familiar. Though I have, every day, a quiet but oh so warm feeling of gratitude that my home here as found me. I pre-ordered your new poetry book and I'm very excited for its release. The title 'The Never was' already pulls on my heart strings and so many thoughts and feelings, smiles and tears gather already. Wishing you and your book all the best, Natascha
That hug is returned to you 10 fold. I cannot imagine how tough that move must have felt, and I am impressed with how you have handled it. Truly. Wishing all that best, right back to you.
5:45 am. Staring at the steering wheel. white knuckles grip. I look at my watch, yes I know they are outdated now...we have phones that tell us what time it is. I count the hours. 24. If I left right now, I would be at the ocean in rhode island (home) in 24 hours and almost 2000 miles. I've done it. Driven straight through. With help, we kept driving, but that time is was driving away from the ocean. However that morning sitting in Wichita Kansas? I was ready for work, I was wasting time, distracted by my homesick salt water needs. Eventually, I made myself the opportunity to live in rhode island again. I need ocean and mountains. (living in Norway on the edge of Fjord for 11 months will do that to you) I love the shift of seasons. While all of them have their pros and cons. I love that you, TKG can express this utterly raw emotion that is probably felt by so many of us.
Thank you for sharing. I cannot wait for the release! Yes, I am pre-ordered and I will share. Can you guest on media? Share the exciting news via all the socials? Shorts are seen everywhere. Put your face and voice out there! You're gorgeous! Your voice is velvet smooth!
I am so happy, so thankful you have a place for you that does this. What a gift. And honestly thank you for these kind words, I hate looking in mirrors and I avoid hearing my own voice at all costs haha. It's one of my 'Tism things, I suppose, but I am working on it!
Brings tears to my eyes. I feel you. I too would feel that if I weren’t within easy access to the water. Either the sea 8 miles from Jim’s house in Savannah or the lake just a few miles from me in Columbia. I love the soul calming waters. Sending you a long hug from across the seas of states.
Oh Tyler, I do so much embrace this verse of life you have shared today! It speaks in so many ways…
If I may, the climax of your poem “The Guilt”(from my point of view) is: “I close doors behind me and fight gravity…”
In this context, it says to me there is no guilt for we are already and always forgiven for our humanity. We just need to walk forward on the trail to the next opportunity to do better, more, or just (in a Ketumati sense) nothing at all. And in doing so, we seek to rise above it all…
I’m sure Montana is everything possible for some, but maybe you are like some (cough) who have traveled not for the experiences, but the learning and then appreciation that people and geography have an equal balance of life anywhere we may go. So it’s less the place that makes us feel at home, but the community we share wherever we are. Thank you for bringing that to us!
I have pre-ordered the book and wait impatiently to embrace it as well. So excited!
I love this feeling and sense of forgiveness inherent. I think we all need to remember that more, me most especially. You're right on the money, as usual, we travel to Learn, we travel to embrace how others live, not try to mold them to how we do, and I think that's part of why Montana can be hard. I'm so excited you're going to have this book in your hands, truly. It's my favorite I've done, despite some of the poems being so very short.
I'm so excited for your book, Tyler! As long as your brain wants to write poetry, I hope you continue to release it (either in books or on Substack) because we ALL need it.
This poem resonates. I was born and raised in Alberta and it is definitely home. There are things that still make me awestruck. The winters though... Just like your Montana winters and the honest truth is that I loathe the long, frigid winter more each year. I too feel guilty, I feel pessimistic. Many people have told me to "find a winter hobby you love" and how much they helps... But I haven't enjoyed any of the ones I've tried. I also don't want to spend a zillion dollars to ski. I hate that the sun is all the way down at 4:30pm. I hate driving on winter roads, I don't like being cold all the time, I hate feeling cooped up with nowhere to go but having rambunctious kiddos who need to burn energy (I don't mind being cooped up if I could read on the couch all day!!) I HATE flu season being so effing long because it stays so cold.
I try to be grateful and to see the good in winter but every winter, I fantasize about living somewhere warmer.
I grew up in the skinny top part of Aotearoa New Zealand, so all my best memories were at the beach. After moving to Australia, I quickly learned that living anywhere where I couldn’t easily get to the coast was terrible for my mental health. I currently live about 20 minutes drive from the beach, and love the trees and peace of our home in the foothills, but the dream is to one day live within walking distance of the ocean. Something about seeing water all the way to the horizon is necessary to my soul and my wellbeing.
I am thrilled about this book release and hope and pray it fulfills your dream for it.... your post makes me sad....sad that you have struggled so deeply with living here all these years...sorry that you haven't found a way to make a change that is for you ...i hope that you will choose a path, whatever path that gives you contentment and happiness... you deserve this, we all do. For me, I love the seasons, the beauty awe and wonderment that surrounds me each day.... as you well know, we have traveled and lived in many places, experienced many cultures, witnessed many lifestyles and this is my comfort zone. I hope you find yours. I love you...
Oooh, now I am even more happy that I already pre-ordered in April! : ) Can't wait. I share this 'fish out of water' feeling, out of necessity I live in the city, and as we continue to experience some kind of unraveling here in America, it is getting harder to live in the city, I live two blocks away from our main north/south throughway, where there is now a daily presence of impoverished, homeless people flying signs on corners, sleeping on sidewalks, and walking with shopping carts full of all their possessions. Sad every day. The nature I do have is called 'back yard and front yard', and though I make it my practice to appreciate it and care for it, it sure isn't the same as living close to nature, as I long to do. Maybe some day. So I relate to your poem! I too wish I could move, but I also feel this is the right place for me to be at this time. Anyhoo...love the line "dry dust like ritual smoke'", and I love your intention of writing poems about the....discomforts, scraps, incompleteness, raw is-ness of living. Thank you.
I cannot imagine what it must be like living in a city right now, as it feels hard enough where we live, in a tiny town, at the very edge of it, where we're more forest than anything else. Helena is also a sanctuary town, so we have such a large homeless population, and it just breaks my heart every single day. Thank you for this, and for appreciating that I don't just write about the shiny happy shit. :)
I can't wait for the new book! I have pre-ordered and I'm so looking forward to immersing myself in your words. BTW, Illuminations is my "go-to" for calm. I just open to any random pages and your words take me away to serenity. Thank-you so much for being you and for sharing all that you are!
A heartfelt hug from across the border. Living in Alberta, moved here 20 years ago from Germany your words about sometimes not appreciating 'home' enough felt familiar. Though I have, every day, a quiet but oh so warm feeling of gratitude that my home here as found me. I pre-ordered your new poetry book and I'm very excited for its release. The title 'The Never was' already pulls on my heart strings and so many thoughts and feelings, smiles and tears gather already. Wishing you and your book all the best, Natascha
That hug is returned to you 10 fold. I cannot imagine how tough that move must have felt, and I am impressed with how you have handled it. Truly. Wishing all that best, right back to you.
5:45 am. Staring at the steering wheel. white knuckles grip. I look at my watch, yes I know they are outdated now...we have phones that tell us what time it is. I count the hours. 24. If I left right now, I would be at the ocean in rhode island (home) in 24 hours and almost 2000 miles. I've done it. Driven straight through. With help, we kept driving, but that time is was driving away from the ocean. However that morning sitting in Wichita Kansas? I was ready for work, I was wasting time, distracted by my homesick salt water needs. Eventually, I made myself the opportunity to live in rhode island again. I need ocean and mountains. (living in Norway on the edge of Fjord for 11 months will do that to you) I love the shift of seasons. While all of them have their pros and cons. I love that you, TKG can express this utterly raw emotion that is probably felt by so many of us.
Thank you for sharing. I cannot wait for the release! Yes, I am pre-ordered and I will share. Can you guest on media? Share the exciting news via all the socials? Shorts are seen everywhere. Put your face and voice out there! You're gorgeous! Your voice is velvet smooth!
I am so happy, so thankful you have a place for you that does this. What a gift. And honestly thank you for these kind words, I hate looking in mirrors and I avoid hearing my own voice at all costs haha. It's one of my 'Tism things, I suppose, but I am working on it!
p.s. does it bother that I write TKG...??? Would you prefer I just write Tyler? Does anyone call you Mr. Gregson? 🤔
Brings tears to my eyes. I feel you. I too would feel that if I weren’t within easy access to the water. Either the sea 8 miles from Jim’s house in Savannah or the lake just a few miles from me in Columbia. I love the soul calming waters. Sending you a long hug from across the seas of states.
I am so happy and so jealous you're that close, truly. I miss the sea, and we miss you.
We want y’all to come to Savannah! Or else we’re coming back to Montana!
Oh Tyler, I do so much embrace this verse of life you have shared today! It speaks in so many ways…
If I may, the climax of your poem “The Guilt”(from my point of view) is: “I close doors behind me and fight gravity…”
In this context, it says to me there is no guilt for we are already and always forgiven for our humanity. We just need to walk forward on the trail to the next opportunity to do better, more, or just (in a Ketumati sense) nothing at all. And in doing so, we seek to rise above it all…
I’m sure Montana is everything possible for some, but maybe you are like some (cough) who have traveled not for the experiences, but the learning and then appreciation that people and geography have an equal balance of life anywhere we may go. So it’s less the place that makes us feel at home, but the community we share wherever we are. Thank you for bringing that to us!
I have pre-ordered the book and wait impatiently to embrace it as well. So excited!
I love this feeling and sense of forgiveness inherent. I think we all need to remember that more, me most especially. You're right on the money, as usual, we travel to Learn, we travel to embrace how others live, not try to mold them to how we do, and I think that's part of why Montana can be hard. I'm so excited you're going to have this book in your hands, truly. It's my favorite I've done, despite some of the poems being so very short.
I'm so excited for your book, Tyler! As long as your brain wants to write poetry, I hope you continue to release it (either in books or on Substack) because we ALL need it.
This poem resonates. I was born and raised in Alberta and it is definitely home. There are things that still make me awestruck. The winters though... Just like your Montana winters and the honest truth is that I loathe the long, frigid winter more each year. I too feel guilty, I feel pessimistic. Many people have told me to "find a winter hobby you love" and how much they helps... But I haven't enjoyed any of the ones I've tried. I also don't want to spend a zillion dollars to ski. I hate that the sun is all the way down at 4:30pm. I hate driving on winter roads, I don't like being cold all the time, I hate feeling cooped up with nowhere to go but having rambunctious kiddos who need to burn energy (I don't mind being cooped up if I could read on the couch all day!!) I HATE flu season being so effing long because it stays so cold.
I try to be grateful and to see the good in winter but every winter, I fantasize about living somewhere warmer.
I grew up in the skinny top part of Aotearoa New Zealand, so all my best memories were at the beach. After moving to Australia, I quickly learned that living anywhere where I couldn’t easily get to the coast was terrible for my mental health. I currently live about 20 minutes drive from the beach, and love the trees and peace of our home in the foothills, but the dream is to one day live within walking distance of the ocean. Something about seeing water all the way to the horizon is necessary to my soul and my wellbeing.
I am thrilled about this book release and hope and pray it fulfills your dream for it.... your post makes me sad....sad that you have struggled so deeply with living here all these years...sorry that you haven't found a way to make a change that is for you ...i hope that you will choose a path, whatever path that gives you contentment and happiness... you deserve this, we all do. For me, I love the seasons, the beauty awe and wonderment that surrounds me each day.... as you well know, we have traveled and lived in many places, experienced many cultures, witnessed many lifestyles and this is my comfort zone. I hope you find yours. I love you...
Oooh, now I am even more happy that I already pre-ordered in April! : ) Can't wait. I share this 'fish out of water' feeling, out of necessity I live in the city, and as we continue to experience some kind of unraveling here in America, it is getting harder to live in the city, I live two blocks away from our main north/south throughway, where there is now a daily presence of impoverished, homeless people flying signs on corners, sleeping on sidewalks, and walking with shopping carts full of all their possessions. Sad every day. The nature I do have is called 'back yard and front yard', and though I make it my practice to appreciate it and care for it, it sure isn't the same as living close to nature, as I long to do. Maybe some day. So I relate to your poem! I too wish I could move, but I also feel this is the right place for me to be at this time. Anyhoo...love the line "dry dust like ritual smoke'", and I love your intention of writing poems about the....discomforts, scraps, incompleteness, raw is-ness of living. Thank you.
I cannot imagine what it must be like living in a city right now, as it feels hard enough where we live, in a tiny town, at the very edge of it, where we're more forest than anything else. Helena is also a sanctuary town, so we have such a large homeless population, and it just breaks my heart every single day. Thank you for this, and for appreciating that I don't just write about the shiny happy shit. :)
I can't wait for the new book! I have pre-ordered and I'm so looking forward to immersing myself in your words. BTW, Illuminations is my "go-to" for calm. I just open to any random pages and your words take me away to serenity. Thank-you so much for being you and for sharing all that you are!