Monday, May 13, 2013

A little Monday motivation

Here's a poem today from one of my favorites, Mary Oliver. Be inspired and keep going, you can do it!




The Journey

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice—
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
“Mend my life!”
each voice cried.
But you didn’t stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do—
determined to save
the only life you could save. 



Source : Dreamwork (Atlantic Monthly Press)

9 comments:

  1. Thanks. I needed a jump start today.

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  2. I was so lucky that when I left to do my life, no voices from those who needed mending tried to keep me back. Thanks for this Monday morning inspiration.

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    1. How great that you had supporting voices and that you made the big jump!

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  3. Ignore all that holds you back and keep going. Thanks for sharing.

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    Replies
    1. I try to do that every day! Thanks for stopping by!

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  4. That was a timely poem for me (and oh, how I love Oliver's poetry!). I'm still feeling that tug at my ankles. Soon I hope to see the stars.

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  5. Great poem! Love the picture too!

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