Every voice has a story.
Every story adds to the signal.
Our Words is a living library of poems, stories, essays, spoken word, and reflections from across the Poetry & Prose Network community.
These pieces come from writers at every step of the journey—discovering their voice, refining their craft, and connecting through the simple power of words:
Some began as quick workshop prompts.
Some were forged through peer feedback.
Some were born under the spotlight on stage.
Some were written simply because a story needed a home.
Together, they capture moments of courage, vulnerability, and genuine human connection. This is more than a digital gallery—it is a living record of our community’s journey: the voices we’ve heard, the stories we’ve shared, and the connections we’ve built along the way.
The Stories That Helped Shape Us
Before there was a network, there were voices—people writing, sharing, listening, and discovering what happens when words become a shared experience.
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Author
Community-Defining Pieces
The Sounds Wild Snails Hear
Half of a snail shell floated on top of the flower bed.
Topless,
its inner whorl like that of an ear,
glowed a delicate white against the red-orange cedar mulch
giving a new meaning to an ear to the ground.
What do snails hear?
Perhaps these stomach feet hear the slow geologic slosh of the planet’s molten core
or the measured drip of glaciers.
Sliding along tasting the salt of the earth,
She transforms mineral to silvery ribbons.
All the while the surf on the other side of the world
quietly roars in her chambered nautilus ear.
The Tosh Barn
Soft meadow grasses trace the barn’s
cedar walls kissed a soft pewter
by years of peace-dove rains.
Rivulets chased rivulets down the grains
raising ridges
as rough as the years gone by.
Standing proud in abandonment,
doors shuttered barely holding back
memories of bolts of horse power as
muscled stallions rippled across the field
crushing yellow flowers beneath their hooves.
Sun streams through the slats
and a sweet grassy smell steams out
as lovers roll in the hay.
A woman ponders her place in this world
with her forehead pressed into the cow’s side
as she works rhythmically, time passing in a trance.
The barn, its peaked roof parting daydream clouds
rooting us to everything we share
sun, wind, and air.
Nothing is new under the sun
Nothing is new under the sun
except the dark cottonwood leaves rustling applause
outside the barn.
A visual touchstone to
Redmond’s past,
where everything is new under the sun.
Add Your Words to Our Words
Every poem, story, and reflection in Our Words began with a single spark—an idea, a conversation, a workshop prompt, or a moment that refused to be forgotten.
Now, we’d love to amplify yours. Whether you’ve attended one event or twenty, your writing is an essential part of our community's story.
What We Accept
📜 Poems & Spoken Word Pieces
📖 Short Stories & Flash Fiction
🖊️ Essays & Creative Nonfiction
💬 Personal Reflections inspired by PPN events & prompts