Wednesday, June 21, 2017

As the Great Wheel Turns . . .


I know I've posted this lovely poem by Mary Oliver before but here at Solstice, it bears repeating . . .

The Summer Day

Who made the world?
Who made the swan and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean --
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down --
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
With your one wild and precious life?


5 comments:

Thérèse said...

Making the most of our precious life: read and reread...

Anvilcloud said...

It find it difficult to settle down to read poetry while clicking around online, but I stop for MO. She's Sue's Fave, and the end is one of her fave quotes.

Bernie said...

Love this poem, always have and feel the same way as Sue does, xx

Barbara Rogers said...

Have a very happy Summer Solstice, Vicki...keep paying attention!

Dianna said...

I've never read this before. Thank you so much, Vicki!