today.
Tags:The Summer Day
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
Mary Oliver
Comments
Sign in or sign up to comment.
32 comments
The last two lines would make great inspiration, maybe even a title, for a scrapbook layout.
Melissa
Replies
Sign in or sign up to reply.
Wow, Ali - thanks for the poem.
It's amazing how our days just go without much thought to the big picture. After losing my best friend I am definitely more aware of how life can be over to soon - and perhaps I have focused on that a bit too much. Thanks for reminding me to do something with my 'one wild and precious life'.
Sending you thanks and thoughts of peace and good health,
Alexandra
Replies
Sign in or sign up to reply.
I LOVE Mary Oliver! Brilliant:) Thanks for sharing. Happy Summer Day to you and yours.
Cheers
Kari
Replies
Sign in or sign up to reply.
One of my favorite poets! I love Mary Oliver, and another of my favorite poems is "The Journey." This is just what I needed after an extremely stressful day yesterday--I wrecked my car by running a red light during a rain storm (that's my story, and I'm sticking to it). Three cars were involved, and all three of us were able to walk away from the accident without medical attention, and all three vehicles had only minimal damage. Thank you for posting this poem to inspire me.
Replies
Sign in or sign up to reply.
I got about half way through that poem and thought "Mary Oliver!" She has an unmistakable way of tying the natural world to the spiritual.
Replies
Sign in or sign up to reply.
God made the world, and the swan and the black bear and the grasshopper. Isn't He creative!!!
Replies
Sign in or sign up to reply.
How appropriate for me today. I just lost a young friend to cancer and I am feeling the need to life evaluation. Thank you for your always-timely posts.
Replies
Sign in or sign up to reply.
Thank you Ali. There is ALWAYS something on your blog that inspires me in some way, large or small. I adore the last line. I feel a layout coming on in the near future.
Corinna
read my blog www.myscrapbooklife.com
Replies
Sign in or sign up to reply.
Ali - was it on your blog that I saw a link to a really neat album system at Two Peas? It was probably within the last 6 months, and it was actually on the front page at Two Peas for at least a couple of days, but the creator had put several sizes into one album? That thought is really appealing to me and I'm trying to track it down - any help you could provide would be useful. Thanks!
Replies
Sign in or sign up to reply.
Thanks for the poem, Ali. It's going on a scrapbook page for my daughter. She won't get it now, but maybe it'll be fodder for an epiphany later. Thanks for making us think!
Anne-Liesse
Replies
Sign in or sign up to reply.
oh ali, you are making me want to dive into my collection of mary oliver poems! i am mostly familiar with Wild Geese - which i love! but i have yet to really cruise through her other works. thanks for sharing this!
Replies
Sign in or sign up to reply.
Wow, I have been wanting to read some poetry too...thanks for a name. Great thought. And P.S. thanks for sharing your life!
Replies
Sign in or sign up to reply.