It’s April . . . and you know what that means, don’t you?
Why . . . it’s National Poetry Month, of course!
Since 1986, the American Academy of Poets has been promoting this month-long celebration of poetry and poets each April. You can learn more about the celebration by clicking on the link (above). Or you can just visit me here – along with Bonny, Kat, and Sarah – for some poetry each Thursday in April.
Today, this first Thursday in April, we’ll be sharing poems about . . . wonder. And, yes. That’s a pretty broad category — especially when it comes to poetry. Because isn’t that often the whole point of poetry? To get us to think, to consider, to . . . wonder?
For me, when it comes to selecting a poem about wonder to share . . . well. My throughts immediately turn to Mary Oliver. Because she, perhaps more than any other poet, always invites me to wonder . . . about the natural world, about living creatures, about life, about ourselves.
Why I Wake Early
By Mary OliverHello, sun in my face.
Hello, you who make the morning
and spread it over the fields
and into the faces of the tulips
and the nodding morning glories,
and into the windows of, even, the
miserable and the crotchety —best preacher that ever was,
dear star, that just happens
to be where you are in the universe
to keep us from ever-darkness,
to ease us with warm touching,
to hold us in the great hands of light —
good morning, good morning, good morning.Watch, now, how I start the day
in happiness, in kindness.
Happy National Poetry Month. I hope you’ll feel a sense of wonder . . . and enjoy this month-long celebration of poetry with us.
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Today’s poem is from my copy of Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver, by Mary Oliver, and published by Penguin Random House LLC, 2017. For more information about today’s poet, Mary Oliver, click here.
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Then be sure to visit Bonny, Kat, and Sarah to read more poetry about wonder!
Every time I read this poem I am reminded of a book I read often to my kids when they were little (A Great Day for Up by Dr. Seuss in case you were wondering) While the book made my kids giggle and laugh, it always felt a little … well, childish… until I read this poem by Mary Oliver. She awakened my giggly inner child… Good morning, good morning, good morning!
Thank you so much for sharing it!
This is a perfect Mary Oliver poem, one that will help me feel a bit of wonder even when I might be one of “the miserable and crotchety”! And what a great way to start the day (in happiness and kindness)!
Why I Wake Early is my favorite “Mary” book. I’ve read that poem to many of my friends and family and given the book, too. Nice way to start the month!
No one does it quite like Mary Oliver did! She had a magical way with words. “Devotions” is on my nightstand and I eagerly open it often. This is a great one!
The morning sun is a wonderful and powerful thing. And Mary Oliver is just always perfect. Thank you for sharing this poem.
I love that we had the same instinct when we thought about poems/poets and wonder!
Mary Oliver’s poems are such treasures. I miss her but luckily she left many poems for us.
I look forward to April for many reasons – and thank you, Kym, that one of them is poetry! I’m slowly reading Wendell Berry’s This Day collection of sabbath poems. Much of his writing is about the natural world, full of wonder, rebirth, and beauty. I’m going to put that “wonder” filter on this week and see what I find.