I am a writer, poet, community volunteer, pupil of psychology, writing instructor, guest speaker, artist, lover of nature, curious traveler and author of Life Is Full of Sweet Spots, An Exploration of Joy, as well as Dreams of a Wingless Child, a book of award-winning poetry. An advocate of the power of writing as an agent of change, I enjoy speaking to community groups about the joy of making words sing and conduct creative poetry writing workshops for inmates at the State of Connecticut’s York Correctional Institution. As a writer and a painter, I enjoy living along the Connecticut shore, where I infuse everyday observations of the natural world with the sensitivity and insightfulness that tend to define my experience of life. It is these reflections that have helped me realize that one need not look far to find an element of peace, of celebration, of joy, in this inordinate world of which we are all a part.
“Any order is a balancing act of extreme precariousness.” — Walter Benjamin delicate landing dragonfly on head of pin acrobatic feat * * * Precarious ~ Twelve-spot Skimmer dragonfly in gymnast title role • Photo by Jan Logozzo • “Balancing Act” haiku by Mary O’Connor © 2023
“Toys are children’s words and play is their language.” —Garry L. Landreth imagination colorful favorite toys unlock the day’s fun * * * A Fun Day ~ Joseph holds the keys to hours of fun • “Playfulness” haiku poem and watercolor portrait by Mary O’Connor © 2023
“There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story.” — Frank Herbert A square castle with towers on each corner, the original wooden Kilkenny Castle was built in the 12th century soon after the Norman conquest of Ireland. The present castle has been rebuilt and adapted over 800 years to … More Last Stop
”Eloquent speech is not from lip to ear, but rather from heart to heart.” — William Jennings Bryan A last stop in the picturesque Ring of Kerry area was the Muckross House. Completed in 1843 for Anglo-Irish member of congress, Henry Arthur Herbert, the estate occupies a prime setting by the banks of Muckross Lake. … More Eloquence
“Invisible threads are the strongest ties.” — Friedrich Nietzsche The best preserved early Christian church in Ireland, this iconic Gallarus Oratory was built on the western tip of the Dingle Peninsula between the seventh and eighth century. An example of dry-stone corbelling techniques first developed by Neolithic tomb makers, the stones were laid at a … More Local Connections
“I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery— air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, ‘This is what it is to be happy.’” — Sylvia Plath Next stop, Killarney, perfect hub for exploring the Ring of Kerry as well as the area’s charming towns and sights. Its nearby Aghadoe outlook offers a sweeping view … More Pure Beauty
“Be like the cliff against which the waves continually break; but it stands firm and tames the fury of the water around it.” — Marcus Aurelius After lunch and a comfort stop in Doolin Village at where else but Gus O’Connor’s pub (didn’t seem right to pass by an O’Connor family namesake😂), we moved on … More Rugged Coastline
“Legends have always played a powerful role in the making of history.” — Hannah Arendt Killary Harbour is the most dramatic of Ireland’s three fjords. Glaciers carved out a u-shaped valley, known today as the drowned valley. Legend has it that the Devil created the pass by dragging Saint Roc over the mountains by chain. … More Legendary
“On the whole, monks do not become famous – and that is a good thing – but monasteries do – and that is an excellent thing. In other words, it is the community that matters.” — Basil Hume Covering approximately 40,000 sq.’ with a principal wall that was two to three feet thick, Kylemore Castle … More Castle Monastery
“Study the past if you would define the future.” — Confucius Bog Oak sculpture Cong Bird by Galway artist Ronnie Graham overlooks the Cong River. Bog woods are unique to the peat bogs of Ireland where, over several thousand years, the tannins of the bog waters turned ancient submerged trees into haunting black wood and … More Antiquity
Life Is Full of Sweet Spots 