Thursday, March 1, 2012

every morning (new)


Morning Poem

Every morning
the world
is created.
Under the orange
sticks of the sun
the heaped
ashes of the night
turn into leaves again and fasten themselves to the high branches ---
and the ponds appear
like black cloth
on which are painted islands
of summer lilies.
If it is your nature
to be happy
you will swim away along the soft trails
for hours, your imagination
alighting everywhere.
And if your spirit
carries within it
the thorn
that is heavier than lead ---
if it's all you can do
to keep on trudging ---
there is still
somewhere deep within you
a beast shouting that the earth
is exactly what it wanted ---
each pond with its blazing lilies
is a prayer heard and answered
lavishly,
every morning,
whether or not
you have ever dared to be happy,
whether or not
you have ever dared to pray.

-Mary Oliver

3 comments:

  1. Thanks, Susannah - that was just what I needed. Having a tough morning (I'll email the group with more info) and feeling pretty beaten up emotionally. This poem was actually taped up on the wall of my bedroom in Moshi, and seeing it again is comforting and familiar - a gentle reminder of hope.

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  2. sad for your tough morning, valerie, but glad i could remind you of this poem today. xoxox

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  3. Thank you for starting my day with these beautiful Mary Oliver words. I read them on my phone early this morning while nursing Luke and it was a lovely way to start our day. xo

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