I wrote this poem for Why Poetry? the Joel Fallon Scholarship Fundraiser, and performed it on April 24, 2019 in Benicia, California. Our Celestial Dance Art is the sunshine that nourishes our souls, breathing wonder into the mundane. Poetry is our home planet, birthing a thousand moons that orbit in a celestial dance, and we are the stars, lighting up the universe one flicker at a time, collectively burning messages of hope and awe into the darkness of midnight to last for eternity long after our own light fades.

I lead the gathering at the 2019 Vallejo Women’s March Summit “Women Building Vallejo” in a call and response invocation where those gathered said “We March!” each time it appears in the piece. These are the 10 stanzas I decided to use out of what was a 36 stanza poem. I’ll put the rest in a future book. It was an honor and a pleasure to be among so many powerful women. A Blessing for the Women Who Pray  With Their Feet by D.L. Lang, Vallejo Poet Laureate It has gotten so tough that we mothers, sisters, daughters and wives,  have declared, “Enough!” And so we rise to march against…

I wrote these and performed them at Voices of the Season at the McCune in the JFK Library, and Hanukkah & Hilarity, respectively. Voices of the Season We are but a handful of voices this season among a sparkling chorus of many reasons to add a little more light to the winter chill, spreading peace and love to ease the world’s ills. For all the many traditional reasons we choose to come together this season may all our days be joyous and our blessings grow, no matter how cold these winter winds blow. Hanukkiah Lighting Across the world homes are aglow as candles flicker in their windows. They shine out…

I premiered this poem today along with reading “Hanukkah Train” on OZCAT radio. A World Without Bullets You say to yourself, reading the newspapers, but that could have been me… We must not let it change us for the worse. We must not hide ourselves from the beauty life has to offer. We must not allow fear to stop us from getting an education, worshipping in our sanctuaries, enjoying live music, watching films upon the big screen, dancing the night away, working at our professions, eating out at restaurants, hanging out at the local mall, competing at gaming conventions, or seeking medical treatment. We must continue to be defiant in…

I read this poem at the Vallejo United Against Hate & Anti-Semitism rally on October 28, 2018. Pittsburgh We who pray words of peace, words of love, words of unity, words of welcoming, words of kindness, words of justice… These words transform our hearts to take action in favor of these holy ideals. Eleven mensches, were taken from us, so senseless, by one who let words that stoke fear and hatred transform himself instead. And so I have no more words. They only exit as tears.

On October 10th, 2017 I performed “Visions” to a packed city council chamber, and received my proclamation as Vallejo’s Poet Laureate. I wish to express gratitude to the musicians at my synagogue who sparked this journey from the page to the stage, to my predecessor Genea Brice, to everyone at Vallejo Community Arts Foundation and the Links who was involved in the selection process, and to all of the organizations who have asked me to perform or write for them since then. I look forward to the year to come! Prior to becoming laureate I had released nine books between 2011 and 2017, my poem “Prayer for the Shomrim” was…