I might make you blush...

I’ve been told that some of my marriage poems make people blush. That they’re very “Song of Solomon-esque.”

Please know, I take this as a compliment.

Perhaps it is important to know that my husband reads and approves of every one—but I don’t know if that makes us weird or heros for being willing to be honest about the beauty and value of marriage.

And alas, many of those poems are now cemented in a book.

Speaking of, I’ve been thinking about a way to let you feel This Side of The Sky. To make it more immersive and “atmospheric.” (They say the best books are.) Because the truth is, this book is a VIBE.

Of course, it’s not all romance and love. It’s friendship and sorrow and joy and motherhood and celebration and bodies and grief and learning how to find God in the ordinary mundane.

It’s set in my home state of Iowa, so there’s a lot of cornfield and harvest imagery, but I tend to spend some time during the winter in Florida each year, so you’ll also find a bit of oceans and sand.

So often I’m told my poetry doesn’t feel like poetry, and I don’t think you’ll feel like this book is a poetry book either.

It’s a book that reads like a story—you can fall fully into and read it in one sitting—living another life for a time that somehow makes you want to live your own more.

And it’s a book you can pick up, then pause. One page a day in another woman’s world that strangely makes your own world expand.

I don’t rightly know how to express it, but perhaps this little “trailer” I threw together can help. When you read This Side of The Sky, you’ll discover that today, and every day, anything can happen.

Every one of those images is a reference to a poem in the book. Yes, even the red two piece and the cotton candy. Releasing on September 16, 2026—13 days after my 40th birthday, I couldn’t have planned it better for you to get into the fall cozies with this book.

Right now it’s the end of June, but I know how much you love autumn, so I shamelessly, highly recommend pre-ordering this book so you’re set to go for the fall. Plus, pre-order bonuses are coming.

Grab it now!

If you preorder I have a banger of a playlist you’ll get access to, a sweet Book Club guide with discussion questions, tips on hosting, invite samples, and food/drink ideas like a Dawn & Honey Fizz and Starlight Shortbread that will take your time together to the next level.

Plus, we’re doing free printables. They’re still being designed, but my “Instructions on Motherhood,” and my “Instructions on Friendship,” poems are finally getting the graphic design job they deserve and I can’t wait to see them on your walls.

(Sorry, my sky language lately is a little out of control, but if I do my job right, you’ll never look at a sky the same way again!)

Just to get you into it, here’s a marriage poem from the book—if you’ve been around a bit, it’s a greatest hit, but never fear, there’s plenty of brand new content too. I just want you to be surprised.

And don’t worry, this poem (and all my marriage poems) are rated PG.

Notes to Self on Marriage
Tell him you like it when he wears a hat. Go to concerts like you are 22. Take at least one spontaneous trip to Paris together. Though it can be like stuffing down a stale cracker, be the first to ask, “Are we okay? I feel like we’re off.” For goodness’ sake, put down your phone. Turn off the TV. Sit on the back porch with a drink in your hand and watch the deer graze in the twilight. Swallow your lecture and offer a prayer instead. Know the landscape of his body, mold, sway, surprise. Be honest about what you need. More words / more listening / more time / more touch. More of him. In a fight, go to bed. Things will look better in the morning. Literally kiss and make up. Tell him you love him, all the time, in every way you know how. But perhaps more difficult, believe him when he says it to you. Occasionally, you will have a moment where you see him from across the room. Maybe he is telling a story. Maybe he is vacuuming. Maybe he is looking at you. When his eyes find yours, press your thumb to your wrist and feel your heartbeat. Remember your life together. Do you see how things have fallen into place? How you have changed for the better? Do you see how he is the one for you and there could be no other? Thank God that he is yours.

I often joke that in Iowa, we don’t have mountains, oceans or canyons, but we do have the sky. There has been nothing that has made me remember God more than when I look at the sky and see His handiwork.

And the beautiful thing is, we all have it. No matter if you live on the coasts or the midwest, or halfway around the world from me, we can all look at the sky anytime we want.

So let it remind you that today, anything can happen.

The Spirit can free you from a long besetting sin.

The Father can answer your long-time prayer.

Jesus can return on the clouds where every eye will see and every knee will bow.

Keep an eye on the sky with me, will you? I’d love for you to tag me in your photos of the sky, with the hashtags #todayanythingcanhappen, #skywatch, and of course, #thissideofthesky.

Friend, my prayer is that when you read this book, the truth is etched in your heart: Today, anything can happen.

Preorder "This Side of The Sky"

Laura