The Summer Day by Mary Oliver
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean —
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down —
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
Happy Summer Solstice, the first day of summer.
As I searched for a poem for you to celebrate Mary Oliver's poem just seemed to work. It fits with my last post too. Did you notice when the sun went down last evening and when it rose this morning? I snapped two pictures for you. One is as the sun was going down shortly after 9PM and then this morning as the sun sent shadows across this same spot in my garden. The sun was up quite early and I tried to ignore it, but finally it said "time to get up" and see the sun.
The long days of summer are here.
Let's savor the days and the light.
Take it in and hold it tight.
I find the warm days slows me down and I want to just sit under a shady tree and read or maybe nap.
Summer is the word this week. Savor and Delight in it.
5 comments:
I love that poem. Beautiful photos and description of the lazy, hazy days of Summer. I am waiting patiently...
You made an outstanding choice, Marilyn. Those last two lines say it all -- and after last year, it is a good reminder that our lives are precious -- and there is only one.
Just realized reading the poem that I've only ever known the 'famous' last two lines! What an amazing look into the short visit with a grasshopper, and thinking of those words "doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?" certainly makes one want to jump out of bed with the sun and get on with living, doesn't it Marilyn?
No sun here this morning - more rain coming - but thankfully cooler, yesterday almost hit 100, it was stifling outdoors. We went for a Thai lunch out - a first in 18 mths - with Jasmin, which was lovely.
Home today catching up on things.
Hugs - Mary
Although Summer is not my favorite season, there is still beauty to be found during these months of Summer. Your yard area looks so nice, Marilyn. You have a lot of shade to keep you cool so you can sit out there and read or relax. I like the colorful umbrella. Your back yard is really pretty early in the morning. That is the most peaceful time, isn't it? Sometimes I go on my front porch with my cup of coffee and listen to the birds and water my roses. Happy Summer days, Marilyn.
~Sheri
Ooooh, those pictures look lovely! Warm and cozy but not too sweaty!
Post a Comment