“Have you noticed?” is what Mary Oliver asked at the end of the first stanza of her poem, “Musical Notation: 1.” Have I noticed? If I have noticed, do I notice enough? Have many people noticed? She was asking about a specific thing in nature, but the question can easily be opened up to all of nature. Have we noticed the creativity, the complexities, the beauty, the thought that was put into nature? It is magnificent, yet we take it for granted, even harming it in many ways.
Mary Oliver has a beautiful talent for writing poetry about nature. She also has a talent for writing in general. Her words pop off of the page and come alive when reading them. My favorite lines that I read were “I know a lot of fancy words. I tear them from my heart and my tongue. Then I pray.” These lines are from “Six Recognitions of the Lord.” They are beautiful and humble. God is not interested in hearing a prayer that is focused on impressing Him with grammatical correctness and big words. God is interested in the heart. I love how nature can also be applied to these lines as well. Consuming yourself in nature—getting alone in the midst of God’s creation and away from all manmade things—and sitting quietly acknowledging God’s creation is a prayer. It is a humble prayer. It is of the heart and is full of peace.
Professor Corrigan’s notes on Mary Oliver really helped me understand her writings by being straight forward. Her poems are not necessarily difficult to understand, but reading the notes broadened my mind on her writings. Corrigan talked about a poem which was not in the reading which sounds very intriguing. The line he quoted from that poem which is called, “Thirst” is “Love for the earth and love for you are having such a long conversation in my heart.” Those words are beautiful.
I went to Lake Bonny Park for this field trip, and I stayed there for at least 45 minutes. While I was there, I wrote a poem inspired by my visit:
It is calm.
It is still.
As the morning sun rises, the birds all join together in song.
A gentle breeze creates a pleasant atmosphere.
The clouds shuffle from one place to the other.
The sun peeks through the cracks as if to see what is new in the world.
Is it possible that nature can feel good?
Is it possible that nature can wet your appetite for sensation?
I believe so.
Peace and gentleness dwell in my heart.
All the stresses of the world are gone.
It is just me and God.
God breathed life into nature.
Nature breathes life into me.
It is the place where I can find God when everywhere else fails.
I wonder what it is like to fly.
To catch the wind beneath my wings and soar into the air.
Birds are often ignored because they are so common,
Yet they are magnificent creatures designed and gifted by God.
One day, I will fly.
I went to Lake Bonny Park for this field trip, and I stayed there for at least 45 minutes. While I was there, I wrote a poem inspired by my visit:
It is calm.
It is still.
As the morning sun rises, the birds all join together in song.
A gentle breeze creates a pleasant atmosphere.
The clouds shuffle from one place to the other.
The sun peeks through the cracks as if to see what is new in the world.
Is it possible that nature can feel good?
Is it possible that nature can wet your appetite for sensation?
I believe so.
Peace and gentleness dwell in my heart.
All the stresses of the world are gone.
It is just me and God.
God breathed life into nature.
Nature breathes life into me.
It is the place where I can find God when everywhere else fails.
I wonder what it is like to fly.
To catch the wind beneath my wings and soar into the air.
Birds are often ignored because they are so common,
Yet they are magnificent creatures designed and gifted by God.
One day, I will fly.
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