The Journey
One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice--
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do--
determined to save
the only life you could save.
Mary Oliver
One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice--
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do--
determined to save
the only life you could save.
Mary Oliver
There is something really fun about this. I have rejoined the gym and started going to Nia classes again. I took a class with a friend (amazing talent)....smiled through the entire workout and just felt better about everything. If you live in the Charlottesville area you should really check out classes by this woman and this woman and this woman. They are all so talented and bring such beautiful energy to their classes.
i love this poem so much... we need to swap poetry books sometime. ;)
ReplyDeletedid you go this morning? i thought of you! can't wait til tomorrow!
xo
What a great poem by Mary Oliver. And so true! I'm glad that you listened to your inner voice and to the advice of your nurse and went to the hospital. Pain in our jaws can indicate problems in other parts of our body, including the heart. And good for you for rejoining the gym and taking Nia classes. I hadn't heard of Nia classs before. What are they like?
ReplyDeleteBtw, I'm also trying to lose weight and lower my triglyceride levels. Aside from going to a new gym which has been GREAT, I've started eating more vegetarian meals and making recipes from scratch with spices and without any processed foods. So far so good. The weight is coming off slowly but I feel physically healthier and stronger.