Friday Five

The Place I Want To Get Back To

is where
in the pinewoods
in the moments between
the darkness

and first light
two deer
came walking down the hill
and when they saw me

they said to each other, okay,
this one is okay,
let's see who she is
and why she is sitting

on the ground, like that,
so quiet, as if
asleep, or in a dream,
but, anyway, harmless;

and so they came
on their slender legs
and gazed upon me
not unlike the way

I go out to the dunes and look
and look and look
into the faces of flowers;
and then one of them leaned forward

and nuzzled my hand, and what can my life
bring to me that could exceed
that brief moment?
For twenty years

I have gone every day to the same woods,
not waiting, exactly, just lingering.
Such gifts bestowed,
can't be repeated.

If you want to talk about this
come to visit. I live in the house
near the corner, which I have named
Gratitude.

(Mary Oliver, "Thirst", Beacon Press, 2006)

For this Friday Five I invite you to offer five gratitudes you recognize in your life.

Coming to the end of my vacation I found myself with a little time to jump in and offer this Friday Five on gratitude.

1. Vacation, time to rest, read, renew
2. Summer, garden, walking, shorts and t-shirts and sandals, easy
3. Work, grateful to be where I am
4. God, been through a lot, had my faith tested big time! But as I suspected during the time of trial, God was here all along.
5. Mary Oliver, I am grateful for her poems!





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Comments

Wendy said…
"Shorts and t-shirts and sandals" best. Clothes. ever.

And I'm grateful for Mary Oliver, too, and for you, who, I believe, gave me my very first introduction to her (though, as I note on my blog, you weren't the only one).
Jan said…
What a nice FF! I love Mary Oliver, too. I'm glad you feel so much gratitude, especially about God.
It sounds like you had a nice vacation. We're starting ours tomorrow. I love the ease of summer clothes too.
Sharon said…
Vacation! Yes! Thanks again for the Friday Five and for sharing the Mary Oliver poem.
revkjarla said…
oh, indeed Mary Oliver. LOVE this poem.
thank you...
and I am grateful for you!

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