How Beauty Heals by Miriam Murray

 

“Murray’s poetry is not only a breath of fresh air for the soul — it is also the harbinger of gentle peace for the mind and spirit.”  

–Sandra Wickham, Author of Feel Write Again, Crushing Your Doubts, Write More, and the Death Coach series. 

 

How Beauty Heals is a stunning collection …a love letter from the poet to the soothing powers of Nature and the remarkable will and resilience of human spirit. Each work reminds the reader to pause and reflect on their own ability to connect to the spirituality of the open fields, the deepness of the river, and the abundant sky. Miriam Murray opens her heart (and ours, as well) with her gift of language and mood. She dives into the most difficult of human emotions: grief, loss, fear; and breaks through the surface triumphantly joyful. Each poem will stay with the reader like a gentle reminder to pay attention to that nearly inaudible inner voice crying out for peace and calm. In closing (and to borrow the words of the poet) How Beauty Heals “would stay. It would dance in my heart forever. So much Beauty.” 

–Kelly Smith Fuller, Columbus Ohio Chamber of Commerce, Vice President of Talent and Workforce Development 

 

“You could say that beauty saved my life.” This powerful, healing, nourishing collection by Miriam Murray is rich with awe, surrender, and generosity. She celebrates the natural world, the comfort of silence, and the openness possible on the other side of trauma. Reading this book, I felt my shoulders relax and the doors of my heart fling open. What a gift. 

These poems are so full of love and wonder and beauty.  I am celebrating you and your poems. Congratulations on creating such a powerful big-hearted book.  

—Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, Author of Hush, All the Honey, The Mirac;le Already Happening Een Now, and Naked for Tea 

 

 

 

“The earth itself 

so quiet 

The roots in the ground 

so quiet 

The stones at the bottom 

of the creek 

 

quiet 

and So Am I” 

“ 

 –M.M. 

 

this poet Miriam Murray 

who eye have had heard 

as relentless voice 

in many dark rooms of 

her journey and pain and trauma 

 

her poetry has the power 

cut like diamond through glass 

spill the middles of a thing 

once swollen in silences 

 

eye sit and read and 

as always and in all ways 

wander about 

eye wonder about 

the rooms not yet touched 

but pulsating as 

the portals of poets 

 

this offering of words 

a springtime 

after a fall 

just before a summer 

forgetting winter 

 

liquid colors sprouting 

that smell of a healing 

long sought 

 –e nina jay, Author of Body of Rooms; Bricks, Blood, & Water; and De-Stoninga 

 

 

Miriam Murray’s tender debut poetry collection “How Beauty Heals” is chock full of bright skies, creeks, trees, questions, songs, healings, and most of all — hope. She finds “Abundance in  the beauty of the river moving/ The deep abiding love of dogs.” A book to be enjoyed seated outside in a full-on burst of warm soothing sunlight. 

 –Kari Gunter-Seymour, Author of Dirt Songs, Alone in the House of My Heart, and A Place so Deep Inside America It Can’t Be Seen.  Founder/Executive Director Women of Appalachia Project.   OHIO POET LAUREATE, ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE, WRITING THE LAND, PILLARS OF PROSPERITY FELLOW, FOUNDATION FOR APPALACHIAN OHIO 2021 ACADEMY OF AMERICAN POETS LAUREATE FELLOW 2020 OHIO POET OF THE YEAR

 

As a psychologist facilitating an expressive arts therapy group for twenty-plus years, I believe that transforming our painful stories into art helps one to transcend the painful, traumatic, and mundane into beauty. Miriam’s work will inspire others to access their own voice and words. 

 

You are offering a real gift to many people. 

—Evie Adelman, PhD Psychologist