Welcome to Moon Penny Musings.
I’m Laura Smith, a writer, teacher, and runner
based in Western Massachusetts.
Through the lens of a Gen X educator and lifelong student of literature, I weave together the endurance of marathon training with the delicate craft of storytelling, documenting my evolution as a writer on a freshly paved path to publication and self-discovery.
For more frequent reflections, poetry, and a behind-the-scenes look at my path to publication, join me over at Moon Penny Musings on Substack. Subscribe to get my latest essays delivered directly to your inbox
You can find more about me here.
Below you can find my latest entries.
You can also view my posts by category: Poetry, Fiction, and Non-Fiction.
Please reach out with comments, questions, or opportunities to collaborate.
Poem of the Day Project: Day 180
I began the “Poem of the Day Project” on September 26, 2025, and today’s poem marks day 180 of this daily ritual of crafting a poem during my morning journaling routine. Some of the poems make absolutely no sense to me, others have merit, yet it is the ritual of the constant attention to metaphor,…
Nostalgia in a Box
I am a proud, card-carrying member of Generation X (1965 – 1980), that independent, pragmatic, adaptable, honest, skeptical and loyal generation with the best music (and you know it). For those of us born female, those of us now possibly experiencing a variety of software updates, including spontaneous human combustion (and approximately 65 other symptoms…who’s…
Road to the TCS NYC Marathon: Part +1
On meditation and service The following is part of a series, which will be continued! Marathon training and preparation does not merely center around preparing the body. Sure, one needs a really good pair (or twelve) of shoes, a training plan, dialed in nutrition, weight training and ample rest and recovery as that body begins…


