You do not have to be good.You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting--
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
by Mary Oliver
5 comments:
That poem is awesome!
Did you know that in Celtic Mythology the Wild Goose is the symbol of the Holy Spirit?
That's why I love Mary Oliver: she says what is in my mind in words I could never find on my own.
Wow!
Mary Oliver's amazing.
Maybe there's something to this whole poetry thing.
You're right P-ta. Knowing this symbolism puts a different spin on the poem doesn't it. I forget that the Holy Spirit is the great comforter. There have been times in my life where I completely disregard that notion, and sometimes I do it on purpose.
And yes, Fougs, I wish I had M. Oliver's eloquence! She's amazing and spiritual and good for my soul, even when I am wounded and just want to feel wounded!
But this one, like many of hers, is full of acceptance and hope.
Yay Rich! Come to our side!
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