Thoughts on Mary Oliver

One of the best known contemporary poets is Mary Oliver. Her books have been recognized through a panoply of awards, hailing her extraordinary abilities---Pulitzer, National Book Award and Lannan Literary Award for lifetime achievement, to name a few. Ms. Oliver is well regarded for her ability to “see” that which is often beyond sight, to articulate for the rest of us wonder and amazement, the grace and glory of God in “things” (swans, birds, salt ponds, the sea) of this world.

Her poetry and prose stir up in readers a deep meaning, beyond what we would otherwise take for granted. Whether writing about a swan or wren, tree or forest, Oliver unlocks the inner essence of the “thing”, inviting her readers to see and embrace an unseen, newly-awakened perspective .As in the story of Moses and the burning bush, the unremarkable bush was passed by countless sojourners. It is for Moses and Moses alone that the bush blazes to life and from which Moses hears the voice of God. Poets, like the prophets, see more than most of us see, sense more than the rest of us can fathom. Thank goodness for poets and prophets; for such ones as Mary Oliver, George Herbert, Thomas Merton, John Lewis and others.

In one of her prose writings, (Upstream), Oliver writes: What I mean by spirituality is not theology, but attitude.……I write praise poems…as comforts, reminders, or even cautions…. to wayward minds and unawakened hearts.

Truth be told, so many of us sense that in the usual, everyday hub-bub and busyness of our lives, we get by on account of our wayward minds and unawakened hearts. Much slips by us that would otherwise be too painful, too overwhelming to embrace and fully acknowledge. Many of us in this COVID time find ourselves yearning, hungry for that which is difficult to speak of, awkward to embrace. We hope in this “time-out-of-time” that our minds will find sharper focus. We sense something new evolving--perhaps this is the time like Moses that we “turn aside and see”, that we see and hear God in new ways.

Besides worship, prayer, meditation and Bible study, another way to sharpen our minds and awaken our hearts is by reading poetry. For the remainder of August, a poem shall replace one scripture reading for Sunday worship. In the way that we prepare for the Sabbath by reading scripture assigned for the upcoming Sunday (note the weekly mailing), we will include this week one of Mary Oliver’s poems to consider Sunday. Other poems and poets will follow. Good reading to you all!

John

Praying

It doesn’t have to be the blue iris,

it could be weeds in a vacant lot,

or a few small stones;

just pay attention, then patch

a few words together and don’t try

to make them elaborate, this isn’t

a contest but the doorway

into thanks,

and a silence in which another voice may speak.