Arrival eventually leads to departure
Lessons learned through discussion
Introduce one’s self to share perspective
Friends gained, enemies lost
15 countries present in 70 people
Times of prayerful quiet
Times of singing and dancing
Times of exploring the town below
Times of walking through the freezing tide
Times of tears and times of laughter
Times to tell stories and to listen to them
Times of peace and reflection
Peace, hope, reconciliation, forgiveness
All intermingled together for conflict resolution
That is what I pack up from Corrymeela
Roll up the bedsheets, stuff the suitcase
Cherished memories leaving with me
Countless pictures taken and contact numbers collected
We’ll see each other again one way or another
For now, it’s time to pack up
And leave this beautiful place behind
But we are not truly leaving Corrymeela
Corrymeela only truly starts when one leaves
We take this place and people with us
We carry the stories we learned within our hearts
That is why we spent so much time in the Croí
The Croí is the heart, shaped like the inner ear
For listening is the heart of Corrymeela
Packing up is not the end here
Packing up is only the next step forward
We pack up to bring Corrymeela to others
Soon they will get to experience Corrymeela through us
So pack it all away now
You will unpack it soon
With every story and every encounter,
You bring that light with you.