Poem, "The Journey"
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Poem, "The Journey"
Found this in a book I just bought called "Prayers for a Thousand Years", edited by Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon
The Journey
One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice--
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"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
The Journey
One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice--
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"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
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: USA
Posts: 1,118
Are you kidding? This is one of my favorite poems. I LOVE Mary Oliver.
My son actually sent me this poem years ago. Thank you for posting it. I think my son was intentionally sending me a message then, and I think your posting this today sends me a message when I need it.
My son actually sent me this poem years ago. Thank you for posting it. I think my son was intentionally sending me a message then, and I think your posting this today sends me a message when I need it.
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