"Moments Filled with Wonder" - Poetry Inspired by the Clouds
When Jon and Deborah Meyer visited Meher Mount, it was one of those times when the clouds were so thick on the mountaintop that you could barely see 10 feet ahead of you. It was Deborah’s first visit, and Jon wanted her to see the spectacular 360-degree views as well as visit this Meher Baba place of pilgrimage. The clouds never cleared the entire weekend they were in Ojai.
As sometimes happens, the unexpected can inspire. The following photographs were taken during that visit and are used to illustrate some of his cloud-inspired poetry. These poems are from Jon Meyer’s book, Clouds: love poems from above the fray, which won the International Book Award for Poetry: Nature for 2022.
Moments Filled With Wonder
Remember when we
Were small children
With moments filled
With discovery and
Wonder? Live it!
~ Jon Meyer, 2022
MOMENTS FILLED WITH WONDER. This field on Sulphur Mountain [Meher Mount] is in a particularly dry area of California. The photo was taken when the trees appeared through the mist on a rare foggy day there. (Photo & Description: Jon Meyer)
You Dissipate the Fog
You dissipate the
Fog of my unknowing
And lead me toward
Your level of
Complete clarity.
~ Jon Meyer, 2022
YOU DISSIPATE THE FOG. It is very unusual for the dry climate of the Ojai region in California to yield such mist. This photo was taken also on Sulphur Mountain [Meher Mount] as the same day as “Moments Filled With Wonder.” (Photo & Description: Jon Meyer)
Real Success
Real success
Demands ardent
Focus on the true
Spark within all
The cosmic fog.
~ Jon Meyer, 2022
About the Artist
Jon Meyer is an artist, writer and photographer. His art work has been in a number of touring exhibitions, including “Outward Bound: American Art at the Brink of the 21st Century.” Jon’s work has been exhibited in more than 60 solo and group exhibitions, including 18 museum exhibitions, and is in 20 museum and public collections in North America, Asia, Europe, and Africa. He has received 12 grants, including a National Endowment for the Arts grant.
His first book, Love Poems From Vermont: reflections on an inner and outer state, won 10 awards, including Best National Poetry Book 2019/2020 by Reader Views. Jon’s next book, Love Poems From New England: reflections on states of mind and states of heart, won seven national and international awards, including Best Poetry winner for 2020/2021.
He has also written extensively on the arts for The Village Voice, ARTnews, ARTS, New Art Examiner, Visions Quarterly, CRITS, Q, Dialog, Art New England, Fictional Café, and many more publications.
As department chair at the University of Maryland/Towson, Jon led a small team producing a film about one of his students, Dan Keplinger. This film, King Gimp, won the Motion Picture Oscar for best short documentary at the 2000 Academy Awards and appeared on HBO.
For more information about Jon Meyer and his work, visit his website: https://www.jonmeyerpoetry.com