Thank you, Mary Oliver

I’d like to write a poem to thank you, Mary Oliver,

To thank you, to thank God for you.

Your words remind me to look, and even more to see

the delight that is outside my door,

and what’s inside.

You’ve taught me to look through my dog’s eyes and ears and snout

as she rummages gleefully in dead leaves, snuffling the damp earth.

You’ve reminded me to look up, to feel the warmth

of the Light on my face.

To wonder at the sound of wild geese.

To celebrate the subtle colors in a winter prairie.

To rejoice when flowers bloom.

To be amazed.

The world that your words have opened, a poem in itself,

is one I will carry forever.

~mj 1.18.19