Poetry by Norah Weir Oulahen

I really know little about poetry. Being a math major in College, there was no room or time for classes on poetry or any kind of literature for that matter.

What’s been surprising to me is that as I get older, poetry is touching me in ways I would never have imagined. I’ve found that any kind of art that is experienced through the senses – a painting, poetry, or music, etc. – bypasses the mind and connects directly with the heart.

A beautiful poem, or even a few words in a poem, can take my breath away.

I’ve been thinking about poetry lately because I’ll be attending a weekend retreat soon on the sacred poetry of Mary Oliver and Thomas Merton. Mary Oliver is a particularly accessible poet for me because she speaks about nature with reverence and love. You’ve probably heard her most well-known line, from the poem “The Summer Day.”

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

My personal favourite is from her poem, “Wild Geese.”

“Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting –over and over announcing your place in the family of things.”

I didn’t know anything about Mary Oliver as a person until I read her recent interview with Maria Shriver for O Magazine. And now, I have even more respect for her. In the interview, she talks about going for walks in the woods, and if it’s a successful walk, she keeps slowing down, until eventually she’s scribbling in her notepad. On being a poet,

“I consider myself kind of a reporter—one who uses words that are more like music and that have a choreography. I never think of myself as a poet; I just get up and write.”

If you are new to poetry, I suggest Roger Housden’s book, Ten Poems to Change Your Life, as a good place to starts. It includes some of my favourites, like Mary Oliver’s “The Journey” and Pablo Neruda’s “Ode to my Socks.” Housden offers short essays on each poem, including background on the poet and and the poem, as well as personal reflections on what the poem means to him.

Another poet who has touched me (and many others) deeply is the 13th century Persian poet, Rumi. His well-known piece, The Guest House, speaks about welcoming whatever comes into your day.

“The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in.”

Poetry is far from trivial. There is great power for transformation in the words of a poem.

I also recommend that you listen to this podcast from NPR’s program “On Being,” called Words that Shimmer. Krista Tippet interviews Elizabeth Alexander, who was the poet at Barack Obama’s inauguration, reciting “Praise Song for the Day”. Host Krista Tippet discusses the power of a poem.

“It’s something many of us seem to be hungry for, though often without knowing it until we hear it. I think we’re starved for fresh ways to talk about difficult things — for language that would elevate and embolden rather than demean and alienate.” ~ Krista Tippet, On Being

Why not be inspired by a poem today?

See my book recommendations on Poetry and Wonder

** Books mentioned have Amazon affiliate links, meaning I make a few cents if you purchase through my link. I only recommend books that I’ve read.