Thirst

I've been reading Mary Oliver's poetry rather steadily over the last year or two, so, when I got hold of her latest book, Thirst, I was excited and couldn't wait to start--but I was totally unprepared to be "blown away," as they say, by the poems I found.

The book jacket tells us that the Pulitzer Prize winner ventures into two new areas with this collection and one of these is her discovery of faith.

Oh my! For those of us who supposedly live a public life of faith each day, it is humbling and yet wonderfully inspiring to read such openness of someone's faith journey. And, of course, since it is Mary Oliver, it is expressed marvelously.

Here's one of my favorites--though I have others. Watch for them in the weeks to come.

"Praying"

It doesn't have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch

a few words together and don't try
to make them elaborate, this isn't
a contest but the doorway

into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.
















Photo by Stephanie Schmidt, OSB