The comfort of poetry
Messenger
My work is loving the world.
Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird—
equal seekers of sweetness.
Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.
Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.
Are my boots old? Is my coat torn?
Am I no longer young, and still not half-perfect? Let me
keep my mind on what matters,
which is my work,
which is mostly standing still and learning to be
astonished.
The phoebe, the delphinium.
The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture.
Which is mostly rejoicing, since all the ingredients are here,
which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart
and these body-clothes,
a mouth with which to give shouts of joy
to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam,
telling them all, over and over, how it is
that we live forever.
~Mary Oliver~
Poetry is indeed a comfort and this poem by Mary Oliver, one of my favorite poets, is a wonderful example.
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Poetry is magical and the magic lies in its ability in a few lines to make you stop, think and feel deep emotions. I always get this when i read a poem by Mary Oliver – she is incredible. Thanks for sharing.
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When I read a good poem my heart, mind and soul are moved, as I am drawn into the beauty of its words and cadence and this poem really did that for me this morning. Beautiful!
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Did you know that the word therapy, comes from the Greek word therapeia meaning to nurse or cure through dance, song, poem and drama?I believe that poetry has the power to comfort and to heal. All healing is a road back home to our original selves and I believe that poetry is a fantastic way to find our way back. Thanks for the reminder today!
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Poetry communicates at the subconscious level, which is why some lines move us to tears or lift us in joy, inspire us and comfort us.
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Love this poem and loved the comments from readers too.
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I love the idea of still not being half-perfect, much less totally perfect! What a great reminder to savor the everyday.
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Like the poet I’m astonished by the beauty of nature all around me. The world would indeed be glum without loons and moons, without the plum and the gum tree. What a magical world. And what a magical poem. Thank you for this bit of lit delight.
XOXO,
Jan
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Poetry is therapeutic, indeed!! I love this poem, and I love Mary Oliver. Enjoy all of it, but these lines really moved me:
“a mouth with which to give shouts of joy
to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam,
telling them all, over and over, how it is
that we live forever.”
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Thank You Very Much!
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This is so beautiful – I was especially struck by “standing still and learning to be astonished”. Sigh. Wonderful. And it echoes one of my 3 words (which are taking shape for New Year).
A real reminder of what is truly important in this one and precious life we have.
Thank you so much for introducing Mary Oliver’s work to me
Philippa
🙂 xox
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