Sharing the Joy Thursday: Egrets
Egrets
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.
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Love those Egrets in flight and the wings are so beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteI love the egrets and the herons. All the winged ones, the four legged, the crawlers and the swimmers too. Bautiful poetry. I realized I think this poetic way, but seldom try to write it, when I find myself in the now, living with what I see. I have walked these kinds of paths, in through thorns, eaten by mosquitoes. The prize is always worth it, even if it is to feel the mosquito "bite" or give a Grandmother back to the water. And today, there will be no mosquitoes as we're up to our butts in snow! (I love that too, but only until I get to New Mexico)
ReplyDeletePeaceful thoughts
"Wrinkled suddenly into three egrets..." Doesn't Mary Oliver's use of language just make you shiver? Reading her words, saying them aloud -- now THAT gives me joy. The photo of the egrets in flight is marvelous -- nice fine.
ReplyDelete"by the laws
ReplyDeleteof their faith not logic,
they opened their wings
softly and stepped
over every dark thing."
i feel like you just gave me a christmas present : )