About Turquoise Pencil

Turquoise Pencil is a literary blog by John Simmerling, a writer, poet, and artist who has been sharing his reflections online since 2009. What began as quiet sketches from the mind has grown into a rich archive of over 190 posts spanning more than sixteen years.

The writing here explores the territory between memory and meaning — family stories passed down through generations, the ache of grief and the persistence of love, the everyday moments that unexpectedly become the most important ones we carry.

Originally published on Blogspot under the name Blue Sea Pencil, this blog has been lovingly migrated to a modern platform to preserve every word and image for years to come.

Thank you for reading. These are drawings from a mind that believes the most ordinary stories are often the most extraordinary ones.