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| This original painting entitled 'Red Bird and Grasshopper' is by Ande Cook; fine artist and illustrator, and creator of of Chickory. She graciously gave me permission to post it with Mary Oliver's poem, 'A Summer Day'. (After you read the poem I'm sure you'll make the connection.) Anyway, I've become a BIG fan of Ande's artwork and am also very taken with her blog. You can find her, and more of her folksy, happy, whimsical work at http://www.etsy.com/shop/chickory?ref=top_trail; or visit her blog at http://www.chickory.blogspot.com/. |
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I've also become infatuated with Mary Oliver's poetry. Mary Oliver does with words what Ande Cook does with a paintbrush. It's as rich as a chunk of chocolate cake with and inch of fudge frosting...Enjoy!
The Summer Day
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 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?
4 comments:
love it! I never really thought I needed to plan my life, it's going to take me places I could never dream of and I just hope and pray I am strong enough for the journey!
Wow Jo-jo, what an amazing outlook! I've always been a contingency planner. The life of faith has been a challenge for me because of my 'what ifs'. But I do love the line in the poem that says 'I know how to be idle and blessed.' I'm working on that part. About strength for the journey; it's promised to you!
I am living mary Olivers manifesto. and how interesting that the grasshopper in fable lore spends the summers making music and when winter comes -he has not provisions. but the ants take him in because he plays the lovely music. trust that it will work out when you embrace really living. I love how Oliver says she knows how to be idle and blessed. this is my prayer for an overworked over stressed and scheduled american people. thank you for this kind inclusion and pairing of my work.
xo chickory
Chickory,
I've read your blog enough to see that you indeed are savoring your 'one wild and precious life!' And that story about the grasshopper is so rich! I need to learn a thing or two from that grasshopper. Thanks for the beautiful artwork and your insights.
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