Poetry intimidates me so I usually avoid it. But my sister insisted I’d appreciate Mary Oliver’s poems. And I do. Especially this one since right now I’m missing all those amazing birds I saw everywhere in Florida. The very last, um, stanza? (calling![[info]](https://i0.wp.com/p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
kellyrfineman) gets me where I live.
EGRETS
by Mary Oliver
Where the path closed
down and over,
through the scumbled leaves,
fallen branches,
through the knotted catbrier,
I kept going. Finally
I could not
save my arms
from thorns; soon
the mosquitoes
smelled me, hot
and wounded, and came
wheeling and whining.
And that’s how I came
to the edge of the pond:
black and empty
except for a spindle
of bleached reeds
at the far shore
which, as I looked,
wrinkled suddenly
into three egrets – – –
a shower
of white fire!
Even half-asleep they had
such faith in the world
that had made them – – –
tilting through the water,
unruffled, sure,
by the laws
of their faith not logic,
they opened their wings
softly and stepped
over every dark thing.
Tracy Abell 
Breathtaking.
My heart took wing. Thank you, Tracy.
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I’m so glad it spoke to you, too. Each time I read it I feel my heart expand.
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Breathtaking.
My heart took wing. Thank you, Tracy.
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So nice to see you back here — you’ve been in my thoughts!
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Thank you, Robin. It’s been (and continues to be) a strange journey.
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Stanza, si. Well done you, remembering that.
How I adore the word “scumbled”, and the idea of something wrinkling into egrets. And oh! those last few lines. Thanks for sharing it.
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YES!
And Yes, yes, and yes! It’s glorious, isn’t it?
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Stanza, si. Well done you, remembering that.
How I adore the word “scumbled”, and the idea of something wrinkling into egrets. And oh! those last few lines. Thanks for sharing it.
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YES!
And Yes, yes, and yes! It’s glorious, isn’t it?
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Beautiful! I especially love the power of the last few lines. Thanks for sharing!
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The last bit packs such a punch. Each time I read it I’m wowed all over again. Glad you liked it, Sarah.
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lovely.
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It is lovely. Egrets are lovely. I miss seeing them all over the place.
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Wonderful! Thanks for sharing this.
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I’m happy you liked it, Barb. And owls are pretty darned wonderful, too.
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I love that last line 🙂
The only birds I see here lately are sparrows and starlings. I’m looking forward to the cedar waxwings showing up.
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I love that last line 🙂
The only birds I see here lately are sparrows and starlings. I’m looking forward to the cedar waxwings showing up.
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