January 17, 2019

MARY  OLIVER DIED  TODAY

Mary Oliver died today - January 17, 2019!

She’ll hang around in books and anthologies

as well in graduation and commencement addresses.

As she continues to grace us and our God with her take and her observations about the wonderful gifts - especially crawly things.

Here’s a poem by Mary Oliver that I really like.

WHAT WE WANT

In a poem

people want 

something fancy,

but even more

they want something

inexplicable

made plain,

easy to swallow -

no unlike  a suddenly

harmonic passage

in an otherwise

difficult sometimes dissonant

symphony -

even if it is only

for the moment

hearing it.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Here’s my echo.

WHAT  I   WANT

In a poem,

I want a metaphor.

In a prayer

I want a connection with God.

In a prophet,

I want a challenge.

In a song,

I want it to get me singing.

In a baby,

I want a smile.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019