They Speak Irish

A poem and photograph from my latest book, Ireland, Place out of Time (2017). Order your copy here.

They Speak Irish

On Inis Oirr, smallest of three Arans,
we give over our Euros
for a carriage ride ’round the isle

Horse clops ring on the rocky
road, past thatched
roofs in a town

little changed in five centuries
Past the cemetery where headstones
pronounce the dead in Gaelic

Of course there are sheep,
there are always sheep,
fleeces marked in neon

Here bygone mixes—if uneasily—
with modern; tourists
now the primary trade

We ride out to a ship foundered on rocks
decades before, its rusted hulk
reminder of the sea’s treacheries

Ireland’s west coast
remains ancient land
—a place out of time

The Pony on the Point

A poem and photograph from my latest book, Ireland, Place out of Time (2017). Order your copy here.

The Pony on the Point

His face turned to the wood, the black pony
blends into the almost dusk,
cold descends upon the steppes

a single homestead stands
out against the rocky cliffs
above the sea

Grasses nearly obscure him
we see only his neck thick with fur and mane
his dark eyes pools of light through the mist

Stock still, he considers us, strangers
at the overgrown gate, as my camera
finds him in the unforgiving landscape

My Interview with "Literary Gumbo"

Fred Klein interviews an award-winning writer, editor, coach, and founding director of the Summer Writing Institute at Antioch University, Santa Barbara, Marcia Meier. Directed/Edited by Ken Baxter

I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed once again by Fred Klein, host of TV Santa Barbara's show Literary Gumbo, which is a weekly look at the world of writers and the publishing industry. It's always such a joy to sit down with Fred, who was director of marketing at Bantam Books Publishing House for many years.

During our conversation, we got to talk about all the recently released and forthcoming books through Weeping Willow Books – both my books and those of my clients – including:

• Ireland, Place Out of Time, by Marcia Meier, 2017
• Sharkbait, A Flight Surgeon’s Odyssey in Vietnam, by Guy S. Clark, MD, 2017
• Yuko, Friendship Between Nations, by Dick Jorgensen, (forthcoming)
• Unmasked, Women Write About Sex and Intimacy After Fifty, edited by Marcia Meier and Kathleen Barry (forthcoming)

I hope you enjoy your taste of Literary Gumbo. You can watch other Gumbo author interviews here.

Join me at my book signing - July 22

Tecolote Book Shop in Montecito, CA, will host me for a book signing in celebration of my newest collection of poetry, Ireland, Place Out of Time, on Saturday, July 22, from 3-5 p.m. 

This work of art was inspired by my trip to Ireland in October 2015. The sixteen poems, paired with my photographs, depict varied experiences encountering the rugged natural landscape, ancient ruins, the Irish people and their many sheep, and other travelers along the way.

I hope to see you that afternoon! Tecolote is at 1470 East Valley Road, in Montecito, near Santa Barbara. If you can't make it, you can order my book here.

Along the Cliffs of Moher

A poem and photograph from my latest book, Ireland, Place out of Time (2017). Order your copy here.

Along the Cliffs of Moher

Rockface sheer and imposing, rises
from the sea, reminding us
nature makes no allowances

Not here along the Wild Atlantic Coast—
barely tamed, it provokes longing
both distant and deep

I step to the edge,
glance down
to the rocks and surge below

Some faint ancient song
of loss and regret rises
with the tides

The Castle on the River

A poem and photograph from my latest book, Ireland, Place out of Time (2017). Order your copy from Amazon.

The Castle on the River

At Ballynahinch, the stones
massive and weighty, watch
over the river’s journey, flowing past
a centuries-old façade

Monument to excess and a way
of life long since gone
of hunting parties, hounds, shotguns
and birds on the wing

castle walls hold secrets
of Irish music and dance,
grand buffets,
women in fancy dresses

Today, tourists shoot clay pigeons
launched from a steel tower
while staff re-create a more genteel
time—only 300 Euros per night