Poem of the day/weekend

Had the rare good fortune to hear a reading by Mary Oliver, whose work is a delight of observation and reflection -- I recognize a haiku sensibility, as well as whiffs of Whitman in her writing. She was also quite an amusing character, peppering her presentation with short self-deprecating anecdotes and asides, and mixing more thoughtful works with some sillier ones about her dog. Good stuff. This one particularly resonated with me.

Mindful

Every day
I see or hear
something
that more or less

kills me
with delight,
that leaves me
like a needle

in the haystack
of light.
It was what I was born for -
to look, to listen,

to lose myself
inside this soft world -
to instruct myself
over and over

in joy,
and acclamation.
Nor am I talking
about the exceptional,

the fearful, the dreadful,
the very extravagant -
but of the ordinary,
the common, the very drab,

the daily presentations.
Oh, good scholar,
I say to myself,
how can you help

but grow wise
with such teachings
as these -
the untrimmable light

of the world,
the ocean's shine,
the prayers that are made
out of grass?

- Mary Oliver