Mindy Withrow

A month of poets: today, Mary Oliver

In celebration of National Poetry Month, I’ll feature a poem here every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in April. Any reflections on today’s selection?

“The Place I Want to Get Back To”
from Thirst by Mary Oliver
 
is where
    in the pinewoods
        in the moments between
            the darkness
 
and first light
    two deer
        came walking down the hill
            and when they saw me
 
they said to each other, okay,
    this one is okay,
        let’s see who she is
            and why she is sitting
 
on the ground, like that,
    so quiet, as if
        asleep, or in a dream,
            but, anyway, harmless;
 
and so they come
    on their slender legs
        and gazed upon me
            not unlike the way
 
I go out to the dunes and look
    and look and look
        into the faces of the flowers;
            and then one of them leaned forward
 
and nuzzled my hand, and what can my life
    bring me that could exceed
        that brief moment?
            For twenty years
 
I have gone every day to the same woods,
    not waiting, exactly, just lingering.
        Such gifts, bestowed,
            can’t be repeated.
 
If you want to talk about this
    come to visit.  I live in the house
        near the corner, which I have named
            Gratitude.

20. April 2009 by Mindy
Categories: Poetry | 4 comments