Christian Activities Online publisher Kathryn E. Darden recently received some national attention for her poetry when her original poem “Christmas in Iraq” was picked up by numerous websites and aired on a Moody radio station, as well as having other poetry appear in two international Tolkien journals “In Fellowship” and “Silver Leaves.”
Christmas in Iraq
Darden was recently contacted by a woman had just read her Christmas poem, “Christmas in Iraq.” The poem ran on ChristianActivities.com in December of 2005, and was republished during the holiday in 2007, but the woman stated the poem was featured in another publication she had received in the mail. Darden Googled the poem along with her own name and got quite a surprise!
“I discovered ‘Christmas in Iraq’ was published many places. I knew it had run on several websites such as PeregrineConcepts.com in 2006, and on several military sites in 2006 and 2007 including GlobalSpecialOperations.com, Military MoneyMatters.com,
Iraq.Pigstye.net, Hooah.com, and others I didn’t think to write down at the time.”
Then Darden found her poem running on the Moody Network, read by Moody Radio’s Mike Gleichman. “I discovered the link on Christmas Day of 2007, and there was my poem being read out loud by a professional radio personality. Talk about a Merry Christmas!”
“Christmas in Iraq” also began showing up on numerous blogs in 2006 and even more in 2007, some with Darden’s by-line, some without, and Darden began receiving requests from church newsletters and other publications wanting to reprint the poem.
The poem was written when ChristianActivities.com sponsored a soldier in Iraq during 2005. Darden mailed her new Christmas poem in a care package to Sgt. Andrew Danison in Al Kasik, Iraq. Darden also had her cousin’s son-in-law Martin Schwerzler in mind, who was also serving in Iraq when she wrote the poem. She published the poem on the ChristianActivities.com website, sent the link to a few family members and friends, and the poem was picked up from there.
In Fellowship; Silver Leaves
Also during 2006 and 2007, Darden’s poetry was published by two Tolkien journals. In 2005, In Fellowship – the Journal of the Tolkien Gathering printed her poems “A Man Like You” and “A Pony, Name of Bill.” “A Man Like You” was published again the end of December of 2007 in Issue 1 of Silver Leaves, the journal of the White Tree Fund.
Darden has been writing poetry since she was 12 and has had poems appear in many publications, but she considers having “Christmas in Iraq” read by Moody Radio’s Mike Gleichman, as well as the inclusion of “A Man Like You” in Silver Leaves two of her highest honors to date.
Darden is also known for her compilation of Mayberry poetry in the book “The Mayberry Poem – A Tribute to Mayberry.”
For more information or to request permission to reprint “Christmas in Iraq” email Darden atL kathryn@christianactivities.com
Click here to read “Christmas in Iraq”.
Click here to read “A Man Like You”.
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