Mary
Oliver
“Instructions
for life:
Pay
attention.
Be
astonished.
Tell about
it.”
Mary
Oliver
Yesterday, while Liza and
I were traipsing along on our early morning walk, something caused me
to look up. There above me, a skein of geese, perhaps 6 or 7, flew in
a line, necks outstretched, wings wide open, and perfectly silent.
They glided on air, without a single bit of effort. I stopped on the
sidewalk, Liza straining at the leash, and watched until they were completely out of sight. What a gift!
“I don't want to end
up simply having visited this world.” (Mary Oliver)
Mary Oliver and I are
both Virgos; born in September, eleven years apart. Perhaps that is
why I feel her as a kindred spirit. Her fascination with every living
creature on planet Earth is what makes her poetry spark with life.
And, I strongly relate to her words, “I simply do not
distinguish between work and play.” She seems to see her life
as a continuous, unbroken line, not chopped into segments; her work
and play, love and loss, lead to analysis and thought, scribed into
words.
Living fully in this
world keeps us grounded in reality. Paying attention to what else is
living in this world, and holding in our hearts their preciousness,
keeps us humble and amazed. From the little green lizard that lives
on my screen porch and teases Liza no end, to the owls hooting it up
at night, to that scrawny coyote that comes to eat cat food, there is
a whole world out there that knows nothing of human craziness. They
live all around us in perfect innocence, and by their simple being,
add value to our lives.
They teach us, “You
must not ever stop being whimsical. And you must not, ever, give
anyone else responsibility for your life.” (Mary Oliver) I hope
you encounter that wild world today; it keeps you connected, body and
soul. And while you're at it, “Leave some room in your heart
for the unimaginable.” (Mary Oliver)
In the Spirit,
Jane
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