Thursday, July 8, 2010

Today's poem - Mindful by Mary Oliver





Mindful
by Mary Oliver
from New and Selected Poems
Volume Two



Every day
I see or I hear
something
that more or less

kills me
with delight,
that leaves me
like a needle

in the haystack
of light.
It is what I was born for -
to look, to listen,

to lose myself
inside this soft world -
to instruct myself
over and over

in joy,
and acclamation.
Nor am I talking
about the exceptional,

the fearful, the dreadful,
the very extravagant -
but of the ordinary,
the common, the very drab,

the daily presentations.
Oh, good scholar,
I say to myself,
how can you help

but grow wise
with such teachings
as these -
the untrimmable light

of the world,
the ocean's shine,
the prayers that are made
out of grass?

19 comments:

  1. prizerHer poetry never fails. She is so astonishing.

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  2. gulp. just felt myself rise above the ground as i read this.
    thank you!
    julie

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  3. Thank you, thank you, Susan and Julie for your words. It makes me very happy that she is so beloved.

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  4. Mary is my favorite poet. I wish I could hear her read some of her poetry. She speaks to me.

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  5. Oh, what a perfect poem that expresses my heart! I went out on a country drive tonight and those very sentiments were mine....just love it!
    Thanks for sharing!
    Joanne

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  6. o.k. Normally poetry flies right over my head but this one I got..like immediately. I love it.

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  7. I'm with Susan and Julie on this. Mary Oliver is my favorite, and this poem is a knock out! I like the new look of your blog!

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  8. You have chosen one of my most-loved poets, thank you.

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  9. Wow! That is glorious! I have to read more of her poems!!!!

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  10. She just gets it right every time, doesn't she? I am going to pin up a photograph of her where I can see it to remind me to try and see things as she does.
    Carole

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  11. I thank each of you who take the time to comment when I post a poem. Please do go to the sidebar and click 'today's poem' for many, many more wonderful works. And all really understandable, Staci!

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  12. Ah, the wonderful Mary Oliver. This is such an uplifting selection. Thank you, Nan!

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  13. She is much loved by her readers. She is so wonderful.

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  14. She is my favorite poet. Thanks for sharing this.

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  15. Me, too Yolanda. Often I'll like a poem or two by a poet, but with Mary Oliver, I like everything she writes.

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  16. Me too, Ernestine. Thanks for coming by to tell me.

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