If you have read my blog for a while, you'll know that I love Mary Oliver's work. In the poems section (under the blog header photo), there are more poems by her than any other. She has meant so much to so many people. Last evening as I was going down my blog list, blogger after blogger had a piece on her. I've got many books of her poetry but on this sad occasion I knew just the book from which I wanted to choose a poem. Dog Songs.
School
You're like a little wild thing
that was never sent to school.
Sit, I say, and you jump up.
Come, I say, and you go galloping down the sand
to the nearest dead fish
with which you perfume your sweet neck.
It is summer.
How many summers does a little dog have?
Run, run, Percy.
This is our school.
Mary Oliver
1935-2019
Oh no. Are you saying that Mary Oliver died? She is my very favorite poet. How sad indeed. Thanks for letting me know.
ReplyDeleteShe is a huge loss to us all. This poem brought tears to my eyes.
ReplyDeleteI was crying last evening as I wrote this, with my Lucy beside me.
DeleteI was so sad when I read about her death yesterday morning. She is one of the few poets whose words really spoke to me. :(
ReplyDeleteYes, and I think that is very common. We could understand what she was saying.
DeleteMy favorite poet, N
ReplyDeletean. I was sad to read of her passing, but not surprised, I'm sorry to say. She wrote what we felt, a terrible loss. The beauty and simplicity of her very direct words have few matches.
Mary
Yes, I agree with all you said.
DeleteThe past few years I kept meaning to read her, only having read bits and pieces on blog friends' posts. Strange that I haven't but then I came late to enjoying reading poetry. I will find a book by her soon and get to know her.
ReplyDeleteI am quite, quite sure you will love her work. Check her poems under my poems topic, and see what you think. She was real and true and, to me, just perfect in her writings.
DeleteI love Mary Oliver's poems, and I have many of her books. But I didn't know this one which made me pretty teary. I still miss Bo! If you search for Mary Oliver on my blog you will find a lot of posts about her work - but I think I only posted the poem itself...
ReplyDeleteIt's that line, how many summers does a little dog have? - that is a killer. And that dog lived only 7 years. I will search your blog. I hope she knew how beloved she was.
DeleteI will miss her careful exuberance, but in parting she left me one last gift: many of my friends commented about her, friends I had no idea also loved her work, some of them quite surprising. I will always remember we have her in common.
ReplyDeleteI think an incredible amount of people cared so much about her, and her work. I've said this before, but I really hope she knew how loved she was.
DeleteNan, I started reading Mary Oliver's affecting poetry, in earnest, only after her passing. Every time I read her humble verse, if I can put it that way, I ask myself, "How did she write so eloquently and yet keep it so simple?"
ReplyDeleteA perfect question, I think. She had such a gift for doing that very thing.
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