The Summer Day
by Mary Oliver
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean—
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down—
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
“The Summer Day” by Mary Oliver, from The Truro Bear and Other Adventures: Poems and Essays. © Beacon Press, 2008.
gorgeous, simply gorgeous -mom thank you
Isn’t it? Thanks for your interest in poetry. I’m more interested now. Love & Light, Valerie
Love that poem … women are like delicate grasshoppers … at times we just spread our wings and fly …. and other times we have to take a blind jump into the unknown field.
Blessings,
Francesca
What a gorgeous interpretation. Thank you, Francesca. Love & Light, Valerie
a powerful womens fiull moon it was.
I was at a gathering about wild fall edibles- magical ladies of our age, and some younger.
Thank you for your creativity finding so much beauty.#
It was an awe-inspiring full moon. Your gathering sounds wonderful. Hope to see you soon. Love & Light, Valerie