Dawn R Shields | Writer - Traveler

Welcome

Want to dive deeper into my world? Follow me on social media! Let's share stories, exchange thoughts, and build a community that appreciates the art of both travel and poetry.

So, here's to you, fellow wanderer, fellow dreamer. Welcome to my poetic realm—a space where the journey is as enchanting as the destination, and every word is a brushstroke on the canvas of life.

Who Am I?

"There was a day when I would identify myself only by what I did…mom. I wouldn’t trade that for anything. But my younger self had so much to learn. About taking care of herself. I feel sad for what I didn’t know. Even guilty at times. Beating myself up. Wishing I’d done a better job. Of getting to know me. Because I think I would’ve really liked her.

I am learning to be gentle and grace-filled with that young woman who didn’t even know, what she didn’t yet know. I am learning to let that go. All the things I wish I had done for myself. All the times I wish I had listened to my inner voice. All the loneliness I muddled through because I didn’t know a better way. And I’m learning that it’s never too late to love yourself first. To forgive yourself first. Because love that flows from the inside allows you to fully become who you were meant to be all along. Every last part of you. Even the ones that had long gone dormant.

As my babies are grown up, I want them to fully know me. Not just who I am to them. But who I am to me. And I want them to see that reflected in my life. And relationships. And purpose. So they will seek to know themselves first. Their whole lives through.

I am a woman. Who has lived enough life to know that time is not timeless. That one life touched is more effective than “reaching the masses”.

That I have more questions than answers. And that is good.

That I often get it wrong. And that is okay.

That I still have so much to learn.

This is a space for that. And so much more."

Latest Work

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September 15, 2026

The Kingdom of Little ‘Nel

Dawn Shields

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The Kingdom of Little ‘Nel Down by the whitewashed chicken shedThere runs a child with tousled headWhere peach trees stand among the dellA kingdom ruled by little ‘Nel She clambers and scramblesAnd gathers bramblesBridges and castles, and dogs for cattleLeft, right, left, right into battle The coach is readied, she cracks the whipDimpled hand upon […]

September 14, 2026

I Went To the Place