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 the 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,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting â"
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
Wild Geese by Mary Oliver
Thanks for the poem. It's beautiful. I need to pick up a volume of Mary Oliver's poetry and sit down with a cup of hot tea.
Nothing like laying it all out there on your blog to make you feel exposed. That's how I'm feeling right now. Vulnerable. And kicking myself for the post. But at the same time, so very thankful for all of your wonderful comments and encouragement and ideas.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I might take a little blogging break. Not sure if it'll be two days or two weeks. When my house gets too messy, I don't usually invite people over until I clean up a bit. And I'm feeling that way about my life right now. It's a little too messy to invite you all in right now. I need to regain my composure and a little balance. I hope you understand.
XOXO, Jean
