RIP Mary Oliver: Pulitzer-winning poet

[Lorac]

Mary Oliver: Pulitzer-winning poet dies aged 83

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-46908975

I know a lot of people quote her poem 'Summer Day ' - with it's famous lines "Tell me, what is it you plan to do / with your one wild and precious life?" but my favourite poem of her was 'The Journey' - it really speaks to me:

http://www.thepoetryexchange.co.uk/uncategorized/the-journey-by-mary-oliver/

RIP Mary Oliver - you and your voce will be missed.

 

[oleada]

(In my sleep I dreamed this poem)

Someone I loved once gave me
a box full of darkness.

It took me years to understand
that this, too, was a gift.

 

[Spun Silver]

A dear friend of mine said she wanted "In Blackwater Woods" to be read at her funeral.

https://wordsfortheyear.com/2014/03/28/in-blackwater-woods-by-mary-oliver/

To live in this world

you must be able
to do three things:
to love what is mortal;
to hold it

against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it go,
to let it go.

A wonderful poet. R.I.P.

 

[eusebius]

We named our chamber ensemble after her poem "Wild Geese".

www.wildgeesemusic.com

 

[quartz]

I stumbled across this a long time ago, and it perfectly encapsulated my bitter relationship with my parents.

(In my sleep I dreamed this poem)

Someone I loved once gave me
a box full of darkness.

It took me years to understand
that this, too, was a gift.

 

[aftershocks]

"When I was a kid, the things I loved were the natural world, and dead poets..." -- Mary Oliver

I was so sorry to hear of Mary Oliver's passing a few weeks ago. I love her poetry and her books about writing poetry. She was a true artist and her legacy lives on. I have several of her books, and I'm currently in the ever revealing process of reading Rules for the Dance, Oliver's concise and enlightening guide book on writing and reading metrical verse. Per Oliver: "Every poem is music... every poem is a statement... Metrical poetry is about breath ... mood ... sound ... pattern..."

In Oliver's book of poems, Blue Horses, she reflected on her own mortality. She wrote often about nature, love, dreams, everyday life. I was uplifted to be introduced to the work of artist, Franz Marc, via Oliver's poem of the same name in this collection. One of Marc's magical blue horses series of paintings is my avatar, and my inspiration.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Marc

Here's a clip of Mary Oliver reading her poem, Blue Horses:
https://soundcloud.com/onbeing/franz-marcs-blue-horses-by
"... Maybe the desire to make something beautiful is the piece of God inside each of us...
If being so beautiful isn't enough, what could [the blue horses] possibly say?"

And here's a rare interview with Oliver, by Krista Tippett:
https://onbeing.org/series/podcast/ scroll down

Mary Oliver reading a poem from Dog Songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioTvAtNk5kg

Mary Oliver's The Journey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhnNMwQv0ko

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Oliver
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/mary-oliver

"... when the time comes to let it go,
to let it go."