Writing on the Wild Edges: Participant Poems (Julia Morris-Meyers)

 This past October we led one of our Writing on the Wild Edges retreats on the beautiful island of Inismor off the coast of Galway. We will be sharing some of the writing which participants gave us permission to share here in the next few weeks. Up next are poems by Julia Morris-Meyers.

Coming? ?home,? ?Christmas
to? ?dusty? ?high? ?plains
front? ?door? ?opening
smells? ?of? ?turkey,? ?more
stockings? ?bulge,? ?fire? ?lit
smiling? ?parents,? ?happy? ?we’re? ?here.

Twinkling? ?lights? ?beckon
while? ?Dad? ?carves? ?the? ?bird
dear? ?Aunt? ?Dot? ?samples
Mother? ?juggles? ?pans.

Table? ?set? ?with? ?best
crowded,? ?we? ?don’t? ?mind
cold? ?night? ?kept? ?at? ?bay
hearts? ?warm,? ?filled? ?with? ?cheer.

Yearning? ?for? ?those? ?days
long? ?gone,? ?they? ?now? ?are
Dad? ?and? ?Dot? ?are? ?passed
a? ?stranger? ?lives? ?there
high? ?standard? ?to? ?keep
me,? ?I? ?can’t? ?compete
memory? ?my? ?comfort
and? ?love,? ?in? ?my? ?heart.

And? ?after? ?visiting? ?St? ?Ciaran’s? ?sacred site,? ?this? ?haiku:

Rag? ?tree? ?prayers? ?for? ?babe
holy? ?well,? ?seven? ?times? ?‘round
connecting? ?stone,? ?heal

(grandson? ?#2? ?is? ?expected? ?in? ?the? ?spring!)

Julia Morris-Meyers takes great joy in teaching others about the beauty of music, whether it is as choral conductor, organist and pianist, or private instructor.  Through her international travels as an accompanist she has seen the power of music to bring diverse cultures and peoples together and she strives for this goal in all her musical endeavors.  Julia lives on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and leads contemplative studies, retreats and weekly prayer at her Episcopal church. Her husband and pets provide great companionship and she relishes her new role as “Nana.”