Writing With the Mystics
A Poetry Immersion
With Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
Tuesdays, February 2, 9, 16 & 23, 2027
7–9 PM ET · Live on Zoom · Weekly Recordings Included
General Public $175 · OSLA Affiliated Alumni $135
What If Writing a Poem Could Become a Form of Prayer?
You don't need to know what you're going to write before you begin.
Sometimes a poem starts with a question. Sometimes it begins with something ordinary that suddenly asks for our attention. And sometimes, as we search for the right words, we discover something we didn't know we needed to say.
What might writing reveal if we approached the page with curiosity instead of expectation?
Join poet and teacher Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer for a four-week immersion in poetry, spiritual writing, and contemplation.
Together, we'll read writers from diverse sacred and secular traditions, discuss what their words awaken in us, and use their work as inspiration for our own poems.
Rosemerry will also offer instruction in poetry-writing techniques, bringing attention to both the craft of writing and the experience of writing itself.
This is an invitation to explore poetry as a contemplative practice, perhaps even a form of prayer. A chance to follow your curiosity, make room for wonder, and discover what happens when you let the words come.
Come to write, to wonder, and to see where the poem takes you.
“In this four-week class, we’ll read spiritual writers from diverse traditions (both sacred and secular). We’ll converse about their writings, then use their work to launch into our own words and wonderment. How might writing poetry become a contemplative practice or form of prayer? The classes will include instruction in writing technique. It’s a class devoted to discovery, curiosity, self-compassion, and contemplation.”
—Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
What We'll Explore
Poetry as Prayer & Contemplation
Consider how writing can become a way to listen, reflect, and pay closer attention to your life.
Wisdom from Sacred & Secular Writers
Read spiritual writings from diverse traditions and explore the questions, insights, and possibilities they offer.
Writing from Inspiration
Use the work of other writers as a starting point for your own poems, allowing their words to open new directions.
The Craft of Poetry
Explore writing techniques that help you work more intentionally with language while remaining open to surprise.
Curiosity & Self-Compassion
Approach the page without the pressure to get everything right. Make room for experimentation, discovery, and wonder.
What Your Registration Includes
Your registration includes four live, interactive two-hour sessions, recordings, and resources to support ongoing practice and community.
◇ Four Live Sessions with Rosemerry
Eight hours devoted to poetry, conversation, and contemplation.
✧ Sacred & Secular Spiritual Readings
Encounter writers from diverse traditions and explore their work together.
✎ Poetry-Writing Instruction
Learn techniques and explore new possibilities for your writing.
◎ Time to Write & Reflect
Use the readings as invitations to discover your own words.
◈ Conversation & Shared Wonder
Explore the writings and questions that arise during the four weeks.
❀ A Compassionate Approach to Writing
Practice curiosity and self-compassion as part of the creative process.
▶ Weekly Recordings
Revisit the sessions at your own pace.
Revisit the material or catch up if you cannot attend live.
Is This Workshop for You?
This workshop is for anyone curious about poetry as a creative or contemplative practice.
You may be an experienced poet, someone who enjoys journaling, a spiritual seeker, or someone who has always wanted to write but hasn't known where to begin.
You don't need a particular spiritual background or a polished writing practice. Bring your curiosity and a willingness to explore.
Meet Your Facilitator
Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer (she/her)
Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer has been writing and sharing a poem a day since 2006—a practice that especially nourished her after the death of her teenage son and father in 2021, helping her stay more present with her daughter, husband, and the life that is still here. Her daily poems can be found on her blog, A Hundred Falling Veils, or a curated version (with optional writing prompts) on her daily audio series, The Poetic Path, available on your phone with the Ritual app.
She also co-hosts Emerging Form (a podcast on creative process), Secret Agents of Change (a surreptitious kindness cabal), and Soul Writer’s Circle. Her poetry has appeared on A Prairie Home Companion, PBS News Hour, O Magazine, American Life in Poetry, on Carnegie Hall stage, and on river rocks she leaves around town. Her collection Hush won the Halcyon Prize. Naked for Tea was a finalist for the Able Muse Book Award. Her most recent collections are All the Honey, The Unfolding and The Wonderment.
In January 2024, she became the first poet laureate for Evermore, helping others through this platform to explore grief, bereavement, wonder, and love through the voice of poetry. Themes in her writings include parenting, gardening, the natural world, love, thriving and failure, grief, and daily life. She’s been an organic fruit grower, a newspaper and magazine editor, and a parent educator for Parents as Teachers. She earned her MA in English Language & Linguistics at UW-Madison.
She is also the author of Exploring Poetry of Presence II: Prompts to Deepen Your Writing Practice. Her spoken-word albums include Dark Praise, which explores “endarkenment,” and Risking Love, which explores loving even when it seems impossible. Both are available anywhere you listen to music.
Her three-word mantra: I’m still learning, and, if limited to one: Adjust.
Explore more of Rosemerry's work on her website: Word Woman
Workshop Registration
General Public: $175
OSLA Affiliated Alumni: $135
Your registration includes the live workshop, poems, writing prompts, reflection exercises, and the workshop recording for each week.
Taking more than one workshop?
Buy 3, save 15%. Buy 4, save 20%!
Discount applied automatically at checkout.
OSLA Alumni: Log in to your OSLA Portal to apply your affiliate discount. Not affiliated yet? Learn More about Affiliation
After You Register
You'll receive a confirmation email with instructions for accessing the workshop's Hylo Course Board, where you'll find the Zoom link and workshop materials.
Can't attend live? The recording will be available within 72 hours of the workshop and accessible through June 30, 2027.
Questions? Contact help@1spirit.org.
