Donald W. Catchings, Jr. is co-founder of publishing company, Inkwell and Pen, LLC. Also, Donald holds a Master of Arts in Apologetics from Houston Baptist University. Donald regularly contributes to An Unexpected Journal and has numerous published works, including Joy Through a Wardrobe — a poetic companion to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
I Once upon a time, there was a Stained-glass Man Who held a glass world in the palm of his hand. Day in and day out, the Man caught the eye Of each and every passerby. In rain and in shine, in snow and in heat, Stained-glass Man stood, with pilgrims at his […]
Epigraph Theseus, Great and Mighty! Can you hear it in your sleep? As you rest in foolish pride, the wise and truthful weep. Listen to the sound, their accorded lies they raise. Hear it thus resound, ‘their matchless Theseus’ praise.’[1] You seek and search to find, Son of Ancient Pride, Stature with the gods […]
Myriad comic series, television shows, movies, action figures, and other various capitalistic ventures have grossed billions on the back of the Caped Crusader. It seems nearly impossible to step into the public square without coming across children and adults alike adorned with some form of the Bat. (But on those instances in which the Winged […]
‘Dream of the Crown’ is a poem that pays homage not only to the Christ who suffered the crown of thorns or the crown itself but medieval dream poetry. Specifically, ‘Dream of the Crown’ echos a pivotal piece of English Literature that was composed early on in the medieval period, circa 1,300 years ago, ‘Dream […]
These are questions that must be asked, Questions of great importance: Can Renaissance or Reformation Have roots soiled in darkness? What if I inquired about Alighieri or Aquinas: Would you dare foolishly say They’re both children of blindness? How about Venerable Bede, Was he without Light’s seed? Did Charlemagne not plant a tree […]
From the Grey Town below of eternal self-vision, A despairing, hollow place, To the Bright Lands above of expedition, At a slow, infernal pace. Every step taken leads further up, in Where something real prods At the soul and sole of waning apparitions To answers far beyond The grasp of the dead and self-seeking men […]
In late summer 2021, as a sort of final “hoorah!” before holiday ended and the term began again, I whisked my family off on a three-day vacation to San Antonio, Texas. While bopping around the city’s touristy go-tos, it came to my mind that in the dozens of trips I have taken to this Texan […]
The night was dark and still: starless, moonless, windless. If not for the groans of the shifting planks and the light smack of oars against sea, there would be no sound in his ears but his own beating heart. He knew this was the night. He knew, soon, his vision would come true. Fear and […]
For over a decade I have been an educator in one fashion or another. My teaching has ranged from Biblical Studies to Theology, History, English, Philosophy, and even a bit of Film. Similar to subject matter, in my teaching career the age range has varied greatly: some of my best students have been preschool-aged, while […]
In a story so ingrained in Western culture that it has become like a dead metaphor, Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” describes one man’s ascent from the Land of Shadows to the Upper-World of True Forms. Plato tells this story, or “powerful myth” which is “a gripping explanation of the condition of humanity” as John […]
