People often talk about "the healing arts" and "art as a tool for healing." For some, however, art is a lifeline. Writing got poet, Adam Miramon, through his teen years and through high school in particular, as he worked through pain and personal trauma. He set the writing aside for a time when he hit his twenties, he says, but when he started to study acupuncture, that brought the poetry back."It was a rebirth," says Adam, "to find the healing within myself and share where I've been and to bring that darkness to light was tremendously healing."
Gifts of the Seasons, published in 2011, was his senior project and the culmination of many years of healing and release. The design and format of the book were very deliberate: The seasons correspond to the five elements of Wood-Spring, Fire-Summer, Earth-Late Summer, Metal-Fall, and Water-Winter. In addition to the poems, Adam has created five original watercolor paintings, each of the cherry blossom in the corresponding season. Says Adam: "How we move through the seasons of nature and our own lives impacts our body's health...The seasons have specific virtues associated with them, reflecting healthy movement."
The poems in this book were specifically arranged to reflect those virtues. The lead poem for each chapter (or season) sets the mood and tone, and the rest of the poems in each section reflect that gift or virtue as closely as possible. For example, in the chapter on Summer, there is the heat of passion, the buzz of activity, and imagery we typically associate with summer. The movement of the poems is swift and at times dizzying. Adam was able to arrange the poems precisely with the help of a team of advisers and editors, and it was not always easy!
When asked how long it took him to put the book together, he quipped "Forty-two years and a lot of heartache!" He then described the process of choosing the final poems and compiling them and then taking it through publishing and printing. All in all, the book came together in about nineteen months.
The poetry in this volume is powerful, raw, visceral, and it stays with the reader. Adam does not just take the reader along on his journey. The reader experiences and sees through the Adam's eyes. The reader walks in his shoes. For a time, the reader becomes Adam. There are many of the poems from this book that I know will stick with me for a very, very long time. The language is beautiful, even when the imagery is tragic. There is no ambiguity here, as there sometimes is in poetry. At the same time, it is anything but banal.
There was some controversy around his book being sold in the Tai Sophia bookstore. A staff member questioned the appropriateness of its being available in the school book store. This has led down a constructive path, however: The school is currently holding discussions on developing a policy around the sale of student books. For the time being, Gifts of the Seasons is available there. (Details below.)
Adam continues to write. He currently writes a health-related column for a local community magazine. He is also planning a second book of poetry. When asked how soon it might emerge, he commented that "It will happen when it happens." Most likely, he says, the new book will come about within the next two years.
Gifts of the Seasons is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Xlibris, and in the book store at Tai Sophia in Laurel, Maryland. (Please note: You have to ask for the book. It is not out on the shelves.) You can also get copies directly from Adam by visiting his website or emailing him at adam@ixchelwellness.com.
