Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Winter shivering in and sadly loving Mary Oliver

There are Canadian geese in my yard. They've stopped off, I think, on their way south, or this is south for them, and I'm glad to have them. They honk and flap, and attacked the cat, who, in fairness, attacked them first.

I love it that they're here, but sad, too. Soon, the monarchs will come, a stop over for their winter nest in Mexico. I've planted butterfly bushes for them. They will come and the hummingbirds will leave, and winter will shiver down from the north and will settle over the lake in a cold, gray fog, and I will be another year older . . .


Wild Geese
by Mary Oliver

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.

from Dream Work by Mary Oliver
published by Atlantic Monthly Press
© Mary Oliver

4 comments:

Diane M. Roth said...

thanks for reading my blog! We had a great time at Mary Oliver's reading. My husband liked her too. She has a wry sense of humor.

Kit Frazier said...

You are so welcome . . . I loved your post about the New Hard Times. I have often wondered about this myself . . .

Dawn said...

Hi Kit,
I had looked for a better way to contact you, but maybe you won't mind that I go a bit off topic and tell you that I just finished reading "Scoop" -- a totally enjoyable read. Thank you for a delightful Saturday. Your character is such a fun acquaintance and I look forward to spending time with her again.

As I looked through your website, I kept wondering why the updates were 2007? Are you no longer writing?

I also saw that you lost your beloved Tahoe. You have my heartfelt sympathy at your loss. We lost our April, a Lab, collie, Heinz variety mix, who was our heart. I continue to miss her and the life we had with her in our family's midst.

I'll be writing a review of Scoop for another website and would like to include any information about forthcoming books or what you're writing/doing, etc.

Thanks,
Dawn

Kit Frazier said...

Hello, Dawn, yes I'm still writing, it's just been tough after Tahoe, and with the upcoming elections.

In spite of all that, I've got a Christmas story coming out soon--my way of living life in the face of adversity.

More than anything, I appreciate your kind words. You make it all worht while.

Keep in touch,
Kit

Barnes & Noble Round Rock Signing

Barnes & Noble Round Rock Signing
My friend Pantera with Tahoe & Me

Tahoe and a new friend at the signing