In keeping with the spirit of A Gathering of Poetry, my offering today is a simple one. I’m sharing one of my favorite Mary Oliver poems. I actually keep a copy of this one tucked into my journal, so I can refer to it and read it as often as I want. It was first published in Mary Oliver’s 2010 collection, Swan. You can also find it in Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver (which I think of as her “greatest hits” album).
Gather up some poetry.
Find beauty . . . and joy.
Don’t Hesitate
Mary OliverIf you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy,
don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty
of lives and whole towns destroyed or about
to be. We are not wise, and not very often
kind. And much can never be redeemed.
Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this
is its way of fighting back, that sometimes
something happens better than all the riches
or power in the world. It could be anything,
but very likely you notice it in the instant
when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the
case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid
of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.
Come.
Fill your cup.
This poem is lovely and perfect! I’m having a frustrating morning already and it’s not even 8:30, so I’m not going to hesitate. No crumbs!
I do so love this poem… so much! (and I am going to print it out and add it to my little pocket full of poems in the front of my journal!
Not my first reading of this poem, but today, for some reason, it hit hard.
“Joy is not made to be a crumb.”
Thank you, Kym.