Thursday, April 22, 2021

A Reflection for Earth Day

 

Woodland path, Mirror, Alberta, April 2021

When I am Among the Trees

When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
    but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, "Stay awhile."
The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, "It's simple," they say,
"and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine."

-- Mary Oliver, from "Thirst", 2oo6, published in Devotions, The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver, Penguin Press, New York, 2017.




For the Beauty of the Earth
Lyrics: Folliott Sandford Pierpoint (1835-1917)
Tune: Dix


May this bless your day.

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