Poet Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer has written and sent out a poem every single day for decades. These are first drafts, no editing, no safety net. In this conversation, she shares what that practice has taught her about creativity, identity, and the wild, disorienting terrain of grief.
In this episode, host Elizabeth Mintun sits down with Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, a poet, writer, and teacher whose daily poetry practice has become both a spiritual discipline and a public offering - poems sent out into the world unpolished, in service of truth rather than perfection. In this conversation, they talk about how a nightly writing ritual, one she began simply because it was the only quiet time she had as a young mother, became a lifeline after the sudden loss of her seventeen-year-old son to suicide in August 2021. This episode is a beautiful conversation about what it means to live in wonderment.
Key Takeaways:
- A daily creative practice is a practice of showing up to presence, and that capacity can become a lifeline in crisis.
- Grief itself changes shape over time; writing became a way for Rosemerry to track and integrate that change rather than "get through" it.
- The identities we build - mother, wife, runner, baker - can all be taken away. What remains is a simpler, truer sense of what is.
Resources:
Preorder The Wonderment and Get a Signed Copy!
“You can pre-order the book from my local bookstore, Between the Covers, and I will personalize it for you (there's a comments section at the final checkout for you to say who you want the book signed to). Order before September 12 when I go in to sign the books. The bookstore will ship your book to anywhere in the US the next day.” -Rosemerry
Before The Wonderment: A Pre-Launch Party
August 29, 6-7:30 p.m. mountain time
zoom, recorded, donations accepted
“Please join me for a pre-release party hosted on zoom . And if you want to pre-order a book, you can pre-order the book from my local bookstore, Between the Covers, and I will personalize it for you (there's a comments section at the final checkout for you to say who you want the book signed to). Order before September 12 when I go in to sign the books. The bookstore will ship your book to anywhere in the US the next day.” -Rosemerry
UK Book Launch Party with The Poetry Pharmacy
September 24, 11 a.m. mountain/6 p.m. UK
“European friends—it’s a book launch just for you, hosted by The Poetry Pharmacy in the UK. Of course anyone anywhere can join us, but the Poetry Pharmacy is making it possible to order the books in the UK and will send them out before the launch so you can read along. Poetry, conversation, singing, questions … join me! Tickets available with or without a book purchase.” -Rosemerry
Rosemerry’s earlier poetry collection mentioned in this episode, All the Honey: wordwoman.com/books/all-the-honey
Rosemerry’s daily poem email list sign-up and website: https://www.wordwoman.com/
Finding Your Footing When the Ground Shifts: A 4-Week Practice in Movement, Nature's Archetypes & Nervous System Science: https://thecalmingground.com/finding-your-footing
Curious about 1:1 coaching? Questions or guest suggestions? Reach out at elizabethmintun@thecalmingground.com
Follow along on Facebook & Instagram @thecalmingground
If this episode moved you, please subscribe and share it with someone who needs it today.
