May Poetry Reading

I self-admit to hating poetry for much of my formative educational years. Today, as it stands, I adore poetry and humbly give thanks to how it has reentered my life in the last five years. And while I understand and stand behind poetry being taught in an educational setting, I suppose, as a teen, I rejected the idea of standardizing words of such beauty. Or perhaps I didn’t have the right teacher when it really mattered. But honestly, do I need to know the difference between a limerick and a haiku poem to enjoy poetry? Not at all. And, to be fair, I do know the difference, and, not ironically, prefer free form.

So, it comes with no embarrassment that I admit my introduction to Mary Oliver happened only seven short months ago, through a recommendation of a trusted source while scanning the bookstore shelves for new and fulfilling poetry. She’s a naturalist poet, for all intents and purposes, and beckons her readers to pay attention to nature, as nature pays attention to us. Below is one of her most popular poems, Wild Geese, which I also quite enjoy, and one that calls to me often through the days recently. Which makes this month’s poetry reading:

Wild Geese by Mary Oliver