One day you finally knew what you had to do…
December 8, 2009
The Journey by Mary Oliver
One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice–
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
“Mend my life!”
each voice cried.
But you didn’t stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do–
determined to save
the only life you could save.
December 17, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Ok, I am officially in awe of this one… It speaks so deeply to my current posts and thoughts.
I love, love how the poem turns here:
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
–Wow. This is a keeper.
December 17, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Good isn’t it? Yes I can see how this could speak to you now as your voice is emerging from the shadows 🙂 Thanks for your perspective.
March 21, 2010 at 1:42 pm
Greetings Trish, it seems we resonate with the same poet. I just posted this poem on my own blog. I love the imagery that is evoked in her words.
Liisa
March 21, 2010 at 4:58 pm
Hi Liisa, Yes we do seem to be together on this one 🙂 She just seems to nail concepts that seem to me only difuse knowings until I read her. I was very happy to come across her work. I’m very happy you dropped by too. Thanks. I’ll stop by your place and take a look at some of your other posts.