Normally I don't read poetry but I have been thinking about taking the Ray Bradbury Challenge where you read a short story, a poem and an essay each day. And so in searching for a poem to read I found The Journey by the award winning poet Mary Oliver and I wanted to share:
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.
-Mary Oliver,
Wow. What an amazing poem. I love it.
ReplyDeleteI love it too and the poem makes a very good point about how sometimes we have to listen to our own voice even if others say no because others don't always have our best interests at heart
DeleteThat is a lovely poem and I need to find a collection of her poems.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about that challenge and for myself it would take a lot of discipline to find the time to add three more things (even short ones) to read in a day. But I am interested in all of those types of writing... and don't have much experience with poetry at all. Maybe I could alternate one each day.
Anyway, it is a very interesting idea.
I tried the challenge for a few days but couldn't follow through. Too many books I want to read. Glad I found the Mary Oliver poem though.
ReplyDelete