The Unexpected Poet and Author

06/07/2026

06/04/2026

"The Shape of Almost"

The shape of almost
is the right person,
the wrong time.

The right script,
the wrong line.

The right poem,
the wrong rhyme.

It is mistaking possibility
for permanence.

It is learning that some people
arrive as lessons,
not destinations.

And it is remembering
that what was never yours
cannot be lost.

LJ Bechtel, The Unexpected Poet

05/05/2026

I am honored to be one of the featured Poets and Authors in this adorable and touching publication called Furrily Loveable. I have not submitted any of my writings to this publication because it is hard to be creative when my heart still aches for my furry companion Rex. Yet this time was different, I have the tools to deal with grief so why not deal with it. So I did. I spent days crafting just the right words to express my emotions. In the end, a touching, emotional tribute to Rex was formed in the poem called What is Time.

Available on Amazon KDP

Furrily Loveable is a pet-themed literary magazine focused on the joyous experience of sharing our lives with these beloved creatures. A delightful and inspiring collection, it is sure to charm the most doubtful of hearts. Containing works by Brittiany Lema, Ann Privateer, L.J. Bechtel, K.G. Mic...

04/28/2026

please share with anyone who is going through surgery or has recently.

04/23/2026

In poetry we write, "I judged you quickly
because I recognized you instantly." BUT in Dark Poetry, we write?