Isn't it amazing how one seemingly random choice can lead to a whole chain of fortuitous circumstance! On a whim you pick up a certain book and you find that a whole new part of the world opens up to you.
A book of essays that had been hanging around on my shelves for several years (probably bought from a bookstore's bargain table) found its way into my hands a year ago. Thumbing through a number of the essays for something to grab my attention, I came across a short piece by one Mary Oliver, a name then completely unfamiliar to me. "Dust" was the essay title, and it was short--so I could chance reading it with little time investment.
Short in words, yes--but large in thought. Ever since that first reading I have found it impossible to let go of what it said on its first page.
She talks about "M." (unnamed in the essay, but who is identifiable when you read about Mary Oliver's life), who would keep everything, even empty envelopes for their handwritten addresses and postmarks.
Of course she would rather there be something inside--a letter! or, oh lovely
chance, a photograph!
M. dreams of all the old and forgotten stories, dispersed to the wind, to the ages...
She thinks of the people who left all these things--books, hats, pieces of lace.
And photographs, the unnameable faces gazing out, everything to say and
no way, no way ever again, to be heard.
That last line evokes such a feeling of nostalgia, of a universal link to what it means to be human. All of us want, need, to make connections to others. And we all hope that something of ourselves is left as a legacy to those who come after.
If I were an avid reader of poetry I would have recognized Mary Oliver as one of our most prolific and appreciated contemporary poets. No wonder the lines above, though part of an essay, have such poetic resonance. I researched her poetry and found many examples of moving, insightful writing.
One of her best-known poems is "Wild Geese," in which she talks about love and despair, the tension in trying to discern our right path. She finds reassurance in the natural world order--the sun, the rain, the mountains, and the wild geese.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting,
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
Read this whole poem and many more
One of her more recent books of poetry is Thirst (2006), in which she works her way through grief after the death of Molly Malone Cook, her beloved partner for over forty years. Her poem, "Heavy," expresses the advice of a friend:
It's not the weight you carry
but how you carry it--
books, bricks, grief--
it's all in the way
you embrace it, balance it, carry it
when you cannot, and would not,
put it down.
About Mary Oliver
I don't want to go on too long with this post, even though there are many more of her poems that I could cite. Maybe at some future time, I'll do that.
Who is one of your favorite authors? or favorite books? Post a comment here and share with all the readers of Miiind Wide Open.
...I loved this post. I was looking at a recipe Grandma Rose had hand-written me over 25 years ago. I loved seeing her hand-writing. (Who is playing the violin in the photo? Grandma Rose used to play when she was a kid...)
ReplyDeleteThat is Mary Ann Richardson (the one before me), grandmother of Tom Richardson, my first husband. Tom and I were married in 1971, and he died of brain cancer in 1981. He is Katie's adoptive father--that's why her name is Richardson. That is Tom standing by his old Datsun truck after its new paint job.
ReplyDeleteI guess you recognize my parents, your Uncle Frank and Aunt Angela. Jim's daughter Laura is sitting on the ground, and her brother Phil is the one in his Grandma's arms.
I looked through a bunch of old photos and mail to find a few things that seemed to fit this story. I'm so glad you liked it, Kelly, and happy to see a comment. My brother Jim is trying to comment but is having problems, since he doesn't have a Google account anymore. I hope more people will figure out how to do it. As you know, it's great to hear from readers.