Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Starlings in Winter by Mary Oliver

From the following poem by Mary Oliver.  Poster from Pinterest.
 

Starlings in Winter

Chunky and noisy,
but with stars in their black feathers,
they spring from the telephone wire
and instantly

they are acrobats
in the freezing wind.
And now, in the theater of air,
they swing over buildings,

dipping and rising;
they float like one stippled star
that opens,
becomes for a moment fragmented,

then closes again;
and you watch
and you try
but you simply can't imagine

how they do it
with no articulated instruction, no pause,
only the silent confirmation
that they are this notable thing,

this wheel of many parts, that can rise and spin
over and over again,
full of gorgeous life.
Ah, world, what lessons you prepare for us,

even in the leafless winter,
even in the ashy city.
I am thinking now
of grief, and of getting past it;

I feel my boots
trying to leave the ground,
I feel my heart
pumping hard, I want

to think again of dangerous and noble things.
I want to be light and frolicsome.
I want to be improbable beautiful and afraid of nothing,
as though I had wings.

"Starlings in Winter" by Mary Oliver, from Owls and Other Fantasies: Poems and Essays.
 
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It is frigid here in the deep South, as in under 20 degrees last night. I do not like the cold or I would live 'up North'.  I envy those of you in Canada and all points North who can handle the snow and cold.  Kudos from a certified Southern Belle sitting here wearing three sets of clothes and three pairs of socks...and a sock hat.  Yes, I have heat.  LOL!!!
 
I'm busy reading (a re-read of the magnificent book, "The Wood Wife", by Terri Windling) and loving 2014.  I'm learning Origami and teaching myself to draw.  I'm in love with Prismacolor Colored Pencils and Watercolor Pencils.  You're never too old to learn something new.  And thank God for gift cards.  :-)  Happy 2014, again. 
 
xo,
Marion
 
"The Old Year has gone.  Let the dead past bury its own dead.  The New Year has taken possession of the clock of time.  All hail the duties and possibilities of the coming twelve months! " ~Edward Payson Powell

from Pinterest

 
 
 


4 comments:

Kelly said...

Love the full Mary Oliver poem!

You've inspired me, Marion. I just ordered myself the Zentangle book I've had on my wishlist for awhile. (yes, giftcards are wonderful) I'm ready to be creative!

How is your mama doing?

Chrisy said...

So excited to see a Mary Oliver poem I haven't read before...thank you!

Marion said...

Kelly, you're going to love Zentangles. It's perfect for doodling in front of a good movie. We got into those last year. I love doing them in my art journals along the edges. Mama's in rehab and doing better every day. I hope she'll continue to improve so she can get out of that hell-hole they call a nursing home. She misses her little apartment and her privacy. Thanks for asking. Keep praying!! xo

Chrisy, I know! It was new for me, too. I love Pinterest. It keeps me on my toes discovering new poems, recipes, crafts, etc. Thanks for stopping by. xo

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