I see or hear
something
that more or less
kills me
with delight,
that leaves me
like a needle
in the haystack
of light.
It was what I was born for--
to look, to listen,
to lose myself
inside this soft world--
to instruct myself
over and over
in joy,
and acclamation.
Nor am I talking
about the exceptional,
the fearful, the dreadful,
the very extravagant--
but of the ordinary,
the common, the very drab,
the daily presentations.
Oh, good scholar,
I say to myself,
how can you help
but grow wise
with such teachings
as these--
the untrimmable light
of the world,
the ocean's shine,
the prayers that are made
out of grass?
Source: Why I Wake Early, Mary Oliver
via inward/outward
3 comments:
It's so neat - I was in a meeting last night, and this guy who's reasonably new to sobriety watched an old-timer stuff his gloves and scarf into the sleeves of his coat, and just smiled all meeting long. "I never, ever thought I'd find joy in anything so simple as finding a way to not lose my gloves again!"
"Sing God a simple song -
Make it up as you go along
Sing like you like to sing
God loves all simple things -
For God is the simplest of all."
(Leonard Bernstein, "Simple Song" from Mass)
isn't it amazing all of the things our parents forgot to teach us that when we re-learn them later in life give us such great joy?
i love this idea steve - i watched a father fill the sink w/ about 2" of soapy water and take all of the plates from supper and scrub them off before loading them into the dishwasher - so simple, but I had only ever run them under water - wasting so much - and not getting the gunk off - i felt the same way. when i told him about how amazed i was he looked at me like i had 2 heads - but for those of us who were under-parented stuff like that changes everything.
mary oliver has a way with words
Post a Comment