A Valentine for the Earth

Mary Oliver was interviewed on NPR in October 2012 when her latest book of poetry, A Thousand Mornings, came out.  A part of the interview: 

"Mornings with the notebook are part of a regular ritual for Oliver, though. 'Most mornings I'm up to see the sun, and that rising of the light moves me very much, and I'm used to thinking and feeling in words, so it sort of just happens.'

Those morning moments are a kind of prayer for Oliver. 'I think one thing is that prayer has become more useful, interesting, fruitful, and ... almost involuntary in my life,' she says. 'And when I talk about prayer, I mean really ... what Rumi says in that wonderful line, 'there are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.'"

Kiss the ground. We know all about that here at Kissing the Earth. 

Happy Valentine's Day to this wild and wonderful earth of ours. To its earth and sky and water and woods. Happy Valentine's Day to all of you who wander inside of it. Maybe try kissing a piece of your landscape today?

A Thousand Mornings

All night my heart makes its way

however it can over the rough ground

of uncertainties, but only until night

meets and then is overwhelmed by

morning, the light deepening, the

wind easing and just waiting, as I

too wait (and when have I ever been

                                     disappointed?) for redbird to sing.

                                                                               --Mary Oliver

Gratefully yours,

Tam