by Mary Oliver
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
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.
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.
*****
Dear Self,
You don't have to be good.
You don't have to repent and crawl on your knees.
You don't have to apologize for who you are...
Please don't punish yourself...
Love what you love, trust your instincts.
We are all just human animals.
Tell people what they give to you. Let them know they will be missed.
Bear change gracefully, like the seasons. The wild geese will return. You will find love again, and friendship. You can do it on your own - you always have. Persist. Persistence has paid off manyfold. The most important thing about humans and animals is that they are adaptable. Be brave. Adapt with grace. Make the most of what you have -- you are lucky in that you'll never be alone. Follow the road as it stretches out before you.
I still grieve the loss of my good friend who died. Recently, when it was time to finally close up her affairs, I had quite a relapse into sadness, five years hence. It's almost as bad when they move away. But I have friends I've known for 30 years, a few for more then 40. They do stick, the important ones, if you keep up your end. The road is long, the journey's good, sometimes you have company. AJ
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