Today I opened a gift wrapped in Christmas paper, mailed from my Godmother Aunt Joanne. It is the book pictured here of poems 
written by Arthur William O’Connor.
He was born of Edward O’Connor in Wicklow in 1869. He emigrated from Ireland to the United States in 1895. He married Julia LaRue in 1898 in Fulton, New York. They had 3 children; Edward, Arthur and Helen. He was a painter, poet and sales person. My aunt published his 25 poems in this book to share and pass on. They have been housed in a leather book where each page was hand inscribed with self drawn frames.
Many of these are his laments of the Motherland and how he missed his dear sacred isle. When you read his inner most thoughts you can feel his faith, sadness and deep love. Here is an excerpt from one.
Longings
Unbidden thoughts will sometimes fly,
To scenes and friends of long ago,
And with a sigh,
We wish them nigh,
Because we love and want them so.
This is a small tribute to my great Uncle.
Wishing all a Joyous Christmas from Ann Arbor.