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Author - Poet - Speaker

writing across what divides us

I began writing on an old manual typewriter in childhood and never stopped.

My work explores deep divides within ourselves and our communities to promote understanding and respect. I use storytelling, poetry, music, and the spoken word to nurture radical attention and belonging.

Let’s help mend the world. 

Care to learn more about my work?

”Phyllis’ work gently guides us along the path of awareness, reminding us that we are all part of the universal spirit.

Sandhya S.

My Latest Books

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    Poetry of Presence II: More Mindfulness Poems

    $21.95
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    Staying Power 2: Writings from a Year of Emergence

    $13.95
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    Staying Power: Writings from a Pandemic Year

    $13.95
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    Beneath the Same Stars: A Novel of the 1862 U.S.-Dakota War

    $14.95
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    For the Sake of One We Love and Are Losing: A Meditative Poem & Journal

    $18.95
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    Poetry of Presence: An Anthology of Mindfulness Poems

    $21.95
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    The Emptiness of Our Hands: 47 Days on the Streets

    $14.95
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    Practicing Presence: Insights from the Streets

    $0.00

My Store

”To listen to Phyllis Cole-Dai is to open the self to wonder, curiosity, mindfulness and epiphany. As an editor, writer, musician and teacher, she has a wealth of practical and personal information to share.

Rosemerry Wahtola TrommerAuthor of HUSH and NAKED FOR TEA

My
Musings

November 2, 2023 in Announcements

Ready for a real trip?

  Thanks for being here! But I've packed my bags and moved all my writing to The Raft, my online community. Care to join me there?  
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October 26, 2023 in Poetry

You Can Do This

“I don’t think I can do this,” I told my friend Mary.* The two of us were meeting on Zoom to discuss a collaborative project. Before digging into business, we were checking in with each…
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October 18, 2023 in Poetry

Again

Perhaps like you, I’ve been preoccupied this week with the terrible events in Israel-Gaza. Please accept this new poem as a gesture of shared grief and, yes, despite everything, shared hope. Always hope. Like a…
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September 20, 2023 in Poetry

The Title of This Poem Has Been Censored

This past Monday, I participated in a public protest against efforts by a local group to ban more than 200 “inappropriate” books from the libraries in our school district. (Think Native Son by Richard Wright. Beloved by Toni Morrison. To…
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September 12, 2023 in Insights

Practically a Tradition

This past Monday, our family loaded the trappings of college dorm life into our two cars. It was time to move Nathan back to campus for his junior year. As we prepared to leave home,…
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September 3, 2023 in Poetry

The ABCs of My Creative Life

What follows isn’t a poem. It’s a playful inventory of basic intentions that guide my creative work—indeed, my daily living. It sets forth how I aspire to conduct myself as a “maker” and as a…
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Try a musing on for size.
Surprise me!

My
Musings

November 2, 2023 in Announcements

Ready for a real trip?

  Thanks for being here! But I've packed my bags and moved all my writing to The Raft, my online community. Care to join me there?  
Read More
October 26, 2023 in Poetry

You Can Do This

“I don’t think I can do this,” I told my friend Mary.* The two of us were meeting on Zoom to discuss a collaborative project. Before digging into business, we were checking in with each…
Read More
October 18, 2023 in Poetry

Again

Perhaps like you, I’ve been preoccupied this week with the terrible events in Israel-Gaza. Please accept this new poem as a gesture of shared grief and, yes, despite everything, shared hope. Always hope. Like a…
Read More
Try a musing on for size.
Surprise me!

All Musings

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Hop aboard!