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Thursday, August 08, 2019

Poetry Friday -- In Mourning


photo via Unsplash

From In Blackwater Woods
by Mary Oliver


To live in this world

you must be able
to do three things:
to love what is mortal;
to hold it

against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it
go,
to let it go.


We have had to let go of two more luminaries of poetry this week. I imagine the Poetry Friday roundup will be a somber place as we remember Toni Morrison and Lee Bennett Hopkins. Molly Hogan has the roundup this week at Nix the Comfort Zone. Ironically perfect.



17 comments:

  1. Mary Oliver always has the words, doesn't she? Thanks, MaryLee.

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  2. Such perfect wise words from Mary Oliver. Thank you, Mary Lee.

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  3. Mary Oliver's words are just the right ones to mourn some giants in the writing field. For years, I have noted and followed these literary luminaries. Thanks for the poem, Mary Lee.

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  4. Thanks for the needed words, Mary Lee. Such a terrible week!

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  5. I enjoy Mary's work. Always poignant.

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  6. Not having an easy time letting it go. Thank you for this, Mary Lee.

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  7. Beautiful post, Mary Lee, and it makes me miss Mary Oliver as well. Sending extra hugs this week.

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  8. Thank you for sharing words from another poet whose loss is dearly felt.

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  9. Sigh...loving and holding close are the easy parts, letting go in times like these seems especially hard, doesn't it? Thanks for sharing Oliver's perfect words.

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  10. Ouch, what a week… That "let it go" part is hard–for me carrying a bit of them in my reflections helps. Thanks for Mary Oliver's poem and the melancholic rose.

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  11. Oh this is the perfect poem for this week...I turn to poetry in weeks such as this. Jone

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  12. What is it about Mary Oliver that we always turn to her in these somber moments? A salve for heavy hearts. Thanks for the poetry aloe, Mary Lee.

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  13. As I work to remember to turn out ALL the lights and flick off power strips, I've been noticing how far a single beam of light can travel in my darkening house. Our luminaries shine on; we'll just have to keep a more watchful eye open for their beams now. What a(nother)year.

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  14. It has been a week of loss, but I am grateful that their words and ideas live on to nourish us. These from Mary Oliver offer balm.

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  15. Thank you for sharing this perfect poem at the end of a most imperfect week.

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  16. Letting go is hard.

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