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On Saturday, June 11, 2011, International Space Station astronaut Ron Garan used a high definition camera to film one of the sixteen sunrises astronauts see each day. This image shows the rising sun as the station flew along a path between Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Buenos Aires, Argentina. http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_2047.htmlThe Sun |
Have you ever seen
anything
in your life
more wonderful
anything
in your life
more wonderful
than the way the sun,
every evening,
relaxed and easy,
floats toward the horizon
every evening,
relaxed and easy,
floats toward the horizon
and into the clouds or the hills,
or the rumpled sea,
and is gone–
and how it slides again
or the rumpled sea,
and is gone–
and how it slides again
out of the blackness,
every morning,
on the other side of the world,
like a red flower
every morning,
on the other side of the world,
like a red flower
streaming upward on its heavenly oils,
say, on a morning in early summer,
at its perfect imperial distance–
and have you ever felt for anything
such wild love–
do you think there is anywhere, in any language,
a word billowing enough
for the pleasure
say, on a morning in early summer,
at its perfect imperial distance–
and have you ever felt for anything
such wild love–
do you think there is anywhere, in any language,
a word billowing enough
for the pleasure
that fills you,
as the sun
reaches out,
as it warms you
as the sun
reaches out,
as it warms you
as you stand there,
empty-handed–
or have you too
turned from this world–
empty-handed–
or have you too
turned from this world–
or have you too
gone crazy
for power,
for things?
gone crazy
for power,
for things?
I love, love, love my work. Have loved it for a long, long time. Absolutely know that there is nothing I would rather do. And yet, at times (like right now), I wonder about the sanity of myprofession. When yet another piece of paperwork comes across my desk. When the district website, where I am supposed to enter data that is due on Monday, goes down for the umpteenth time in the last two weeks. When we have to give up another day of instruction to give yet another assessment that tells us something we already know. This poem, from Parker J. Palmer's website, spoke to me this morning about my place in the universe.
Violet Nesdoly is hosting Poetry Friday this week.
9 comments:
"rumpled sea"
"streaming upward on its heavenly oils"
"a word billowing enough"
So much to enjoy here! Good luck with your paperwork...
Between you and Mary Lee, I am filled with the delight Mary Oliver tells us we must consider. Hoping that site gets fixed for your sanity, Carol!
Aww, sorry for the aggravations, but glad you have Mary Oliver to re-ignite the delight! The list of phrases that snagged me is pretty much identical to Tabatha's so I won't repeat. I haven't seen this poem before. It's gorgeous!
Love this pairing of pic and poem! And these lines:
"and have you ever felt for anything
such wild love–
do you think there is anywhere, in any language,
a word billowing enough
for the pleasure that fills you,"
Thanks for sharing.
It does seem that the more tools we have to help us, the more time we devote to waiting for them to work. I hope your frustrations ease. I love Mary Oliver.
I agree with Linda, Carol. I just finished Mary Lee's poem and now yours with Mary Oliverisms. Words are powerful reminders that there is beauty around us and we must savor it. Paperwork is the bane of existence.
We are kindred spirits who have like minds. I've got the same feeling of overwhelmedness at the never ending/always increasing piles of work , the same love/hate with this job right now. Look at us: we turn to the same poet (and to nature) for solace.
May you have enough time (or make enough time) for a walk in the park and nothing to think about but the glory of spring.
I hear you...overwhelmed, too, by all that I simply cannot love about the job I love. A perfect poem to soothe and comfort.
Hang in there. You will find your "word billowing enough for the pleasure that fills you." Summer soon!
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