by Mary Oliver
It doesn't have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch
a few words together and don't try
to make them elaborate, this isn't
a contest but the doorway
into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.
"I Happened to Be Standing"
by Mary Oliver
I don't know where prayers go,
or what they do.
Do cats pray, while they sleep
half-asleep in the sun?
Does the opossum pray as it
crosses the street?
The sunflowers? The old black oak
growing older every year?
I know I can walk through the world,
along the shore or under the trees,
with my mind filled with things
of little importance, in full
self-attendance. A condition I can't really
call being alive.
Is prayer a gift, or a petition,
or does it matter?
You can hear Mary Oliver read the rest of this poem here.
And here is an NPR interview with Mary Oliver.
Margaret is hosting Poetry Friday at Reflections on the Teche today.
9 comments:
I love this line:
"and a silence in which
another voice may speak."
Thanks for sharing these!
I didn't know either of these poems, so thanks for sharing, Carol. They will stay with me.
Mary Oliver is amazing. She captures such profound ideas with such seemingly simple words and lines. Thank you for sharing these beauties today!
She does it right, doesn't she, speaks/writes so eloquently. I love that second poem, all the ways prayer can be.
Two great poems by Mary Oliver - "the doorway into thanks," wonderful way to think about prayer. "I Happened to Be Standing," a new poem for me. Thanks, love the pic of the irises.
Thanks for these two poems, and all the rest of the prayers over the past weeks.
Two wonderful poems. Thanks for sharing.
Mary Oliver is my favorite poet. The simple way she says such a profound thing. "I happen to be standing" opens your eyes to the possiblity of a single moment. How does she do it?
Yes, prayer can be as simple as paying attention. Love this reminder. Thank you!
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