Warriors with a Pen released its first book last Friday and I am really excited! I hope that this story of healing will help others on their journey.

Introduction to the book
At nineteen my nephew, John Noe, almost died when he crashed his car in a DUI. His drinking was a secret like the turmoil in his young heart.

        When will I find love?

        When will I find peace?


John went to live with his aunt to start over again. There he met the love of his life and the mystery of the gift within.

In poetry, John struggles to express the pain that lead him to alcohol. He finds healing in his pain. He unites with his aunt, Belinda McDanel, to face the dysfunction in their family using poetry as therapy.

Poetry as Therapy

Belinda lived through several years of war in Central America which lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In the 1970s, she and her family were caught in riots and shootouts between rebels and nationalists. Eventually PTSD lead her to ministry burnout in 2005.

These poems reflect the journey of healing of a nephew and his aunt.

Sample poems

More sample poems

Rage
_{by John Noe}

Rage:
        a returning curse
        from my heart.
Hatred:
        my driving force,
        my power.
        My sanity.

A gift from my father.

This battle goes on,
In a place of endless strife.  
A war that won’t leave,
An attack that I want to end.

I want to love him,
But I’ll never forgive
What he did.


Mingled Tears
_{by Belinda McDanel}

Arrows aimed at you hit me
We stand together
In the fight with oppression
You hold my hand
I hold your heart
Mingled tears in a hopeless embrace

Spears aimed at you hit me
We pray together
In the fight with accusation
You hold my hand
I hold your heart
Mingled tears in a safe embrace

Darts aimed at me hit you
We unite forces together
In the fight with destruction
I hold your hand
You hold my heart
Mingled tears in a protective embrace

Swords aimed at me hit you
We do spiritual warfare together
In the fight with evil
I hold your hand
You hold my heart
Mingled tears in a victorious embrace


What readers are saying...

“The provocative words are edgy and authentic and truly encourage us to recognize the steps of our own despair on our own journey to hope and promise. ... The voyages of both John and Belinda from darkness to light bring hope, strength and courage to anyone who is seeking guidance and growth through a spiritual path.”
– Judi Sommarstrom

“Intimate Journey: Battle Scars is a heartfelt, honest depiction of the authors’ struggles with personal demons, such as addiction, anxiety and depression. Readers will be able to relate to the universal feelings brought about by these struggles through the healing medium of verse. They carry you through their ‘journey of healing’ with words that touch the heart and heal the spirit...”
– Grace Cha, MS, journalist/author

“…this book would encourage others who are working through their own season of darkness to write out their thoughts and feelings… It is beautiful, heart-felt, intimate, and hopeful.”
-– Kim Bigato, Editor Salt Fresno

“These existential cries from the heart, perplex and warm the reader of what it means to be an authentic child of God in today’s society. They are moving, and like Dostoyevsky, cut to the core of our emotional battles to touch the face of God.”
-– Ray Timmermans

“John and Belinda share their deepest sorrows and heart-felt joys. They bare their souls, encourage us to believe there is always hope if we allow God to work through us and remind us that we are never alone- no matter what we are going through.”
– Margie “Mo” McClain, author

“A must read for those still on the journey.”
-– Raymond Willet