Wild Geese by Mary Oliver

Wild Geese by Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body

Love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours,

And I will tell you mine.

Meanwhile the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain

Are moving across the landscapes over the prairies

And the deep trees, the mountains and rivers.

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,

Are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

The world offers itself to your imagination,

Call to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting –

Over and over announcing your place in the family of things.

The Morning Slumber

Birds are singing.
The world is rumbling.
My eyes are shut,
But my mind is stirring.
The cardinals are filled with joy.
My heart begins to stir.
Wow, the day is full of possibility.
What shall I do!?
The birds remind me,
Keep it simple. Share your song.
That's all you need to do.

Seagulls on the Shore

Dusk is here on the lake.
The waters are calm & quiet,
except for the buzz in the air.
Something is happening.
What is it?
There's a flutter above the water.
The seagulls are talking to each other.
"Look here! Over here! Go!"
Splash!
They dive, eat and soar - cackling again.
There's a buzz. A gathering.
Opportunity.
In the peace & calm of evening,
There's a life force building and another one ending.
Such is life.
In the quiet we come.
Life. Opportunity. Feed yourself. Share. Help others.
And into the night we go.
Dawn is approaching - a new day begins.

Mother's Day

I'm so happy today.
It's Mother's Day.
What a wonderful son.
He knows how to live life & have fun.
A card, a hug, a smile -
Makes it all really worthwhile.

I'm happy. I'm loved.
I feel taken care of from above.
Thank you God. Thank you Spirit.
I love this feeling. I want to stay near it.

Red-Winged Black Bird

Morning Music

My heart's a singin'.
The morning dawn,
Calls you from slumber.
What are we sharing
With our morning song & call?
It's our joy, our love, our all!
We sing because we're happy.
We sing because we're free.
A song for you as a reminder,
You too have a song within you.
Share it. Sing it. Tell us.
Your beauty, your song -
May too wake someone from a slumber.