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Friday, February 28, 2014

POETRY FRIDAY


I love books. I love dogs. I love poetry. I love Mary Oliver's poetry.
And when I find DOG SONGS by Mary Oliver at the library,
 I think I have died and gone to heaven.

I've read the book at least three times in the last week.  Such big truths in so few words.

Some lines have already written themselves on my heart.

LUKE
she adored
        every blossom,

 not in the serious 
     careful way
          that we choose
                this blossom or that blossom.

the way we praise or don't praise
     the way we love 
          or don't love---
               but the way

we long to be---
     that happy
          in the heaven of earth--
                 that wild, that loving. 
(C) Mary Oliver, DOG SONGS, 2013

BENJAMIN, WHO CAME FROM
WHO KNOWS WHERE
…Benny, I say,
don't worry. I also know the way
the old life haunts the new.
(C) Mary Oliver, DOG SONGS, 2013


"THE DOG HAS RUN OFF AGAIN (BENJAMIN)"
Who am I to summon his hard and happy body
his four white feet that love to wheel and pedal
through the dark leaves
to come back to walk by my side, obedient.
(C) Mary Oliver, DOG SONGS, 2013


YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE
A CONVERSATION
IS GOING TO GO

…Well, see? Just keep on liking things.
And praying.

"I don't know anything about that."

Yes you do. Every time you wake up and 
love your life and the world, you're
praying, my dear boy. I'm sure of it.
Mary Oliver, DOG SONGS,  2013

And there are some poems that I will need to reread and swish around a few (or maybe a hundred) more times before I understand…
"LUKE'S JUNKYARD SONG"
"Listen, a junkyard puppy
Learns quickly how to dream
Listen, whatever you see and love--
That's where you are.' 
Read more terrific lines people have pulled from Dog Songs here.

Read the NY TIMES book review here.

Visit the POETRY FRIDAY ROUNDUP at Anastasia's POET! POET! 

7 comments:

Linda B said...

You remind me how much I miss having a dog, Carol. They "are" many things to us humans. Thanks for the BIG shout out!

jama said...

I love this book too! Thanks for sharing several of your favorite poems. I need to reread my copy now. :)

Karin Fisher-Golton said...

I also love books, poetry, dogs, and Mary Oliver's poetry. Thank you for sharing these precious bits of her book. The Benjamin ones especially spoke to me--I can so easily see those four white paws stirring up the leaves. I'm going to find a copy of that book!

GatheringBooks said...

Hi there Carol. I know exactly the right person I shall give this book of poetry to. I don't have a dog (never had one even when I was young) but Mary Oliver makes me want to get a canine companion, stat!

Mary Lee said...

There is still a tiny part of my heart that believes there will be another dog in my life! But not right now.

Love this as a Big Truth: "Every time you wake up and
love your life and the world, you're
praying, my dear boy. I'm sure of it."

Michelle Heidenrich Barnes said...

I wonder how much more enjoyable life could be if we could all take some lessons from dogs?

Bridget Magee said...

I must look for this book as well! I love the poem "THE DOG HAS RUN OFF AGAIN". It could have been written for my dog, Smidgey. Thanks for sharing. = )