Spring ~ a poem by Mary Oliver
Somewhere
a black bear
has just risen from sleep
and is staring
down the mountain.
All night
in the brisk and shallow restlessness
of early spring
I think of her,
her four black fists
flicking the gravel,
her tongue
like a red fire
touching the grass,
the cold water.
There is only one question:
how to love this world.
I think of her
rising
like a black and leafy ledge
to sharpen her claws against
the silence
of the trees.
Whatever else
my life is
with its poems
and its music
and its glass cities,
it is also this dazzling darkness
coming
down the mountain,
breathing and tasting;
all day I think of herβ
her white teeth,
her wordlessness,
her perfect love.
Do you have a favourite spring-time poem?
The photos in this post were taken when I was out for a walk last week. I’ll share more spring photos with you this weekend.
Spring is wonderful! Thanks for the poem and photos! π
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I’m glad you enjoyed them. π I agree — spring is a lovely time of year.
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I just love Mary Oliver. And this poems speak so well to nature waking up after a long winter slumber …at least the bears!
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Me too! I didn’t discover her poems until last year, and I found them at a time when I was feeling stressed about making a difficult decision in my life. They really spoke to me, especially “Wild Geese” — I wrote about it here.
Thanks for stopping by. π
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A beautiful poem about a beautiful season. I love this time of year. Everything feels so full of life.
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I agree. It is a lovely time of year — it makes me feel inspired to do more things, like starting a new exercise routine. π
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The poem reminds me of my years in New England. Here in Florida, there really isn’t much to the change of seasons. Love the daffodils.
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The spring flowers are beautiful here at the moment. π And there is such a buzz of activity…all the creatures waking up after the winter. There were two hedgehogs in the garden last week!
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Beautiful poem and beautiful photos! Can’t wait to see more!
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Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the poem. I love Mary Oliver’s work — she writes so beautifully about nature.
I posted more spring photos today! π
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