Book Readers Heaven: Diana Raab, PhD is checking in for September! With A Bit of Poetry! Writing Prompts! Review of The Fifth Season by Mark Nepo

Shared with Permission by Author!

"Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words." ~ Robert Frost

Happy September! Here we are again at the beginning of fall. It’s the season I always think of as a time of letting go, as the trees let go of the leaves that no longer serve them, and a time of reflection, as we think of the year coming to an end.

As a youngster, September was the beginning of the school year and as an elder, I love seeing all the school supplies displayed in the stores. It makes me reminisce about times gone by. Please check out my latest article in Psychology Today, called, “Why Reminiscing Is Good for Us,” a reminder that not only do our stories and experiences ground us, but they help connect us to ourselves.

Wishing you a wonderful September!

https://www.dianaraab.com

SEPTEMBER

Writing Prompts

Write about your most outstanding day at school.

Write about your most memorable teacher.

Write what fall means for you.

Write about what you want to let go of this fall.

RECENTLY PUBLISHED WORKS

"Poet's Eyes" (poem). The Soliloquist. Summer 2025. Issue 2.

A poet’s eyes

They come in every color

but not of the rainbow

only God’s chosen—

blue, brown, hazel,

yet all this physical stuff

is really irrelevant

when thinking of their power

and what they capture—

every essence of life,

feelings and beyond,

chaos and mayhem,

love and war,

sharing and calming in one sweep,

and even when looking at stars

they see futures and

other planets on the other side,

like they’d want to visit one day

in faraway realms

never touched by dirty human hands.

~~~

Also...

“Brain Fog or Just Age? Decoding Cognitive Changes.” (article). The Good Men Project. July 17, 2025.

“Red Salvia ” (haiku). O2 Haiku. July 2025.

“Secrets to Happy Aging .” (article). Psychology Today. July 19, 2025.

“Why Reminiscing Is Good for Us.” (article) Psychology Today. August 17, 2025.

“Silence Redux,” “Flat Tire Therapy,” and “Future Writer.” (poems). Twin Flame Literary. August 2025.

“She Told Me Her Secret.” (essay). Corvus Review. Summer. 2025.

RECOMMENDED BOOK

Whenever Nepo releases a new book, I make sure to put it on my reading list immediately. So many of his sentiments resonate with me. As a poet and deep thinker, he always makes me delve deeper into my thought processes. Reading his words is like coming home. This book especially resonates with me because he’s a writer in his seventies. I too entered my seventh decade last year and I also ponder my own mortality. He poses questions that I often ask, such as, what does it mean to age, and what is old? I love his perspective as he embraces his own age and the gifts aging has to offer, such as the wisdoms learned over the course of a lifetime.

Nepo identifies this period of his life as a time of integration and transformation for making sense of experiences. I love that he has included suggestions for writing or discussion at the end of each chapter. He poses many poignant questions.

It’s a profound book that leaves a lot of room for reflection and contemplation, and as he deftly states, “The longer we live, the greater the surfacing of our soul.” Further, like me, he believes in the importance of creativity. “Just like we need oxygen to breathe, we need the creative flow to keep our heart alive. This is especially important as we age. To live a creative life sustains our inner health,” he says.