Three years ago I purchased Devotions, a collection of poetry from Mary Oliver. I’m not a poetry person, but I always enjoyed Oliver’s takes on nature and humanity. I said, “I’m going to read one poem every morning.”
Two years ago I was cleaning my bookshelves and saw the book. “Huh, I was going to read one poem every morning. I should do that.”
Last year I was cleaning my bookshelves and saw the book. “Seriously, I’m going to read one poem every morning. I’d love that.”
Three weeks ago I was cleaning the bookshelves and saw the book. I considered giving it away on a Facebook group but instead I moved it to my desk. That’s all it took.
The next morning I opened up the book, grabbed my notebook, and read the first poem. The goal is one a day, but I miss days here and there. The book is organized by her previous published works moving from most recent to earliest. The first section is Felicity from 2015, and here are my thoughts/interpretations..
(I AM NOT AN ENGLISH MAJOR. I MIGHT BE WRONG. THIS IS AN EXERCISE FOR ME.)
I Wake Close to Morning: God is in morning’s beauty.
This Morning: The miracles of nature happen in ordinary times.
The World I Live In: To witness miracles, you have to believe in miracles
Whistling Swans: There is no wrong way to pray. God even listens to the noisy swans as they fly.
Storage: Letting go of material things makes room for so much more.
For Tom Shaw: Grief leaves you cold when the friendships that warmed you are gone.
I Know Someone: Love & flowers are amazing
That Little Beast: Creativity cannot be directed, but the only muse she needs is her Love.
The Pond: Everyone and everything wants to touch, to sing, to be happy
I Have Just Said: Thanking her Love for all of the years that are as happy as springtimes have been.
The Gift: Even as we age, still love as hard as you always loved, and be grateful for every day.
