To meet a poem requires only being open to surprise. There’s nothing to analyze. And you can’t do it wrong. You might enjoy reading the words aloud. Poems are better at surprising when spoken with breath and voice.
Be the water, become the water… Water can be a lifelong contemplation.
What is water showing you? I’d like to hear from you.
On that note, here’s another water-themed poem from This Wild Arising (coming in June 2026).
confluence crushing waves, crashing waves pushing the noise into ears until they can’t hear anything but the roar of tidal confusion crushing me, crashing me this world with its suggestions muddying the waters where is the clear water take me back out to sea ride the wave, the crashing wave ride it free and eventually the tide turns, back it goes to the quiet center, the big clear pond
Listen to it here:
I’m hosting four classes starting next Saturday, 4/4, for paying subscribers. Let’s celebrate the joy of writing, getting to know yourself better, and National Poetry Month. I’d love to share this space with you!
These are above and beyond the normal subscriber perks—because I’m feeling pretty springtime celebratory. Loosey-goosey, some might say!
Relax as I guide you into experiences of natural, intuitive, effortless writing through natural, intuitive, effortless being.
Saturday 4/4/26 The Magic of Intuitive Writing — 2 hours (read the book here in Substack, with the first chapter available to everyone)
Tuesday 4/7/26 The Calm Way Transformational Journaling— 1-hour live session
Thursday 4/9/26 Writing Practice Session— 1-hour live session
Saturday 4/11/26 Intuitive Poetry and Art Workshop — 2 hours
Testimonial from a student:
So I didn’t know much about automatic writing going into this. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure what it meant. I tend to struggle with stuff I can’t quite wrap my head around, and this definitely landed in that category. But Andrea has this calm, grounded way of meeting you right where you are—whether you’re new, confused, curious, or all three.
She’s not just teaching a class—she’s holding a space. And somehow, even when I was rambling or trying to figure out what I was doing, she heard the real question underneath. The way she broke things down, the way she listened, the way she offered reflections—it all felt personal, but never pushy. It was structured but still had breathing room. The invitations, the journaling prompts, the homework, even her closing thoughts—they all hit the mark.
What this class gave me, though—and this is the part I didn’t expect—is a way to journal that feels alive. It taught me how to set an intention, how to make an invitation, and how to create enough space for my thoughts to actually show up and get onto the page.
Standing in the field of love’s potentiality,
Andrea Mai ~ Dao Wei
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