Foreword
Welcome to the poetry of Edith Hoisington Miller. Through her book, Crow Impressions & Other Poems, we travel through Edith Miller's life, a journey lived to the fullest through family stories, travel adventures, nature, music, and history. In her poetry, we discover a writer who has spent her life as a quiet observer, but, at the same time, deeply engaged in natural and cultural environments. Her poems carry the themes of her existence, from one to the other, none more important than another, all presented in clear, sharp images.
Birds are her messengers, especially crows. She begins and ends her journey with crows. The poet is strong in the belief that spirit is demonstrated through her association with crows. They journey with her as a metaphor for her respect for all beings.
Although Edith Miller has been a writer all her life, the move to poetry has come in recent years. This collection, however, has clearly been a lifetime in the making. She humbly reaches back to age seven and includes her first poem, which begins; "I have a little toad / And he walks on the road…" This poem, from the heart of a child, is early evidence of the author's care for Earth's creatures and predicts how she will bring years of experience and the power of her words into poetic expression.
The poetry changes tempo midway through the narrative as music filters through the ebb and flow. The poet's spirit rises to a new beat, a different rhythm. The theme of her life unfolds in the poem, "Meeting Together." In this poem, she describes her passion, working for Peace, Justice, and Right Relationship with Mother Earth. She brings her book to a conclusion with six brave and touching elegies for a grandson, lost at age fourteen. In this thoughtful collection of poetry, Edith Miller details her engagement with the beauty of the world and shares her firm hold on the joys of living. Enjoy the journey.
Thelma Ann Brennan Johnville, New Brunswick