I have been very inspired by the poetry of Mary Oliver who sadly left us this January. I wish I had known about her when I was teaching. I feel many of her poems are so direct and accessible for young people.
On my short break in Ireland last October I listened to her reading a collection of her poems and shared these with friends there who always inspire me to keep writing.
The Dverse poets group are another inspiration and Grace has done a fitting tribute to Mary Oliver with a powerful selection of her poems. I am a bit slow posting as we have been in Lisbon but I would like to rekindle my attempts at sonnets too. A challenge for 2019, a poem a month and a post a month!
Here is the link to Dverse and a selection of Mary Oliver poems. Dverse
Ehttps://dversepoets.com/2019/01/24/openlinknight-236
In Praise of Mary Oliver
Words wait to come but first I have to dig and feel the sun
Warm up my back instead of in the cold where wifi weaves
Within a world of virtuous vice that brought me to your light.
A breeze moves among this mix of trees with leathery leaves
That do not fall in time together, but one by one by one.
Hidden within, no fear of death, the birds bring sounds so bright.
Your poems, your voice reached out beyond the wintry chill,
Beyond the miles of ocean deep, with your birds, your trees,
The dipper, grasshopper, dog that ate the Bhagavad Gita,
Moments when you take us from the outer to the inner
To focus on the smallest things and show determined will
To see this precious world, its wild ways, and be at ease.
This is not a sonnet yet! It needs two more lines and checking for scanning. And it’s cold inside with the wifi and glorious outside. Am going out to bring in my supply of home grown potatoes, close the gate to my huerta. Photos of our Wild or overgrown finca!
Enough poetry for now. But an offering for January!
Hi Georgina – thanks for introducing me to Mary Oliver. I will cherish her words.
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Hi Opher, glad you can get to know her poetry. There were some links in the Guardian too. My link to Dverse now works too.
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Thank you for sharing, Georgina.
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sweet reflection
from poet
to poet 🙂
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a wonderful tribute
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Thank you Maureen, I am glad I wrote it down rather than just kept it in my head!
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so am I
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I specially love this last line: see this precious world, its wild ways, and be at ease.
Thank you for this lovely tribute to Mary.
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Thank you for inspiring it and your own beautiful poem.
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I agree, I love that line, to be at ease. I am looking forward to diving into more of Oliver’s work.
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Georgina, it was so sad to learn about her passing but her poetry lives one, I’ve heard her Wild Geese a lot this last week, and find something new each time. An amazing poet and a beautiful tribute to her. The last three lines sums up her work and impact on us all. Brilliant!
‘Moments when you take us from the outer to the inner
To focus on the smallest things and show determined will
To see this precious world, its wild ways, and be at ease’
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Thanks, Annika, I think her life was so profoundly connected to nature it just flowed into her poetic voice.
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Your thoughtful poem offers a sparkling link to her work. Must investigate. Thanks for the links.
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Please do, I have missed so much by not knowing her poetry earlier in my life!
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Will follow your blog. Thanks for following mine.
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Very nice tribute!
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That’s how I feel about her poetry also: “Your poems, your voice reached out beyond the wintry chill,”
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I think her awareness was quite amazing even towards death.
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Thank you for this tribute. Mary Oliver holds a special place in my heart too, and sadly I had not been aware of her death.
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Yes, it was a chance Guardian article online and then Dverse poets. She is not well known in U.K. , unfortunately. Hope all going well for you.
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Yes, all well – one of our daughters has made us surprised and very happy new grandparents and our other daughter, to her surprise, is having a baby in March, so our focus has shifted over the last year.
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Sounds as if you will be kept on your toes. Congrats.
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I really like your poem. Sometime enough is enough with out bowing to form!! I loved this line… where wifi weaves
Within a world of virtuous vice that brought me to your light.
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Thanks, yes am being called away now from my virtuous vice! Loved your poem.
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Thank you!
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An appropriate and heartfelt tribute, I hope that after that you went out and enjoyed the landscape 🙂
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Yes I did but today is much colder outside than in! The sun has gone and here it makes warm and bright rays when usually shining in January. Thanks for link to Tegan.
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Yes, it’s very cold here today!
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To be in the wild but also at ease…a good summary of Mary Oliver. (K)
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Thanks!
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I didn’t know Mary Oliver, I’m ashamed to say, but having dipped into her poetry, I’m glad to have been introduced to her. I agree, the last two lines are lovely.
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I dig it ☘️🐝
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This is such a good read, Oliver is one of my top ten. She did a fabulous interview on Krista Tippett’s ‘On Being’ show availbale on iTunes, if you haven’t caught up with that one.
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Thanks will try and do that. Have just been enjoying your poetry. Honest and challenging.
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That is very kind, thank you for sharing that.
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Sadly, I did not know of Mary Oliver. This a beautiful tribute to her, with such beautiful photographs.
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Thanks, she is an amazing nature poet.
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Such beautiful words …
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Thanks Julie, hope all going well.
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Beautiful sharp photo!
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