A Poem selected for National Poetry Month by June Hirsh. Here is what June wrote about “I Worried” by Mary Oliver:
I’m new to Poetry–I love the sensibility, the ordinariness and the decency of this poem–it’s sweetness and kindness touches my heart. It gives me my humanness and an honest way to be in the world.
As a life long political activist–to be kind and forgiving–to have compassion for myself and for others–to have our lives and live our lives as giving human beings is everything.
Otherwise, the growing poverty, the pain in the world we live in, would be unbearable. Lets sing together and cry together–and together, change the world.
I Worried
by Mary Oliver
I worried a lot. Will the garden grow, will the rivers
flow in the right direction, will the earth turn
as it was taught, and if not how shall
I correct it?
Was I right, was I wrong, will I be forgiven,
can I do better?
Will I ever be able to sing, even the sparrows
can do it and I am, well,
hopeless.
Is my eyesight fading or am I just imagining it,
am I going to get rheumatism,
lockjaw, dementia?
Finally I saw that worrying had come to nothing.
And gave it up. And took my old body
and went out into the morning,
and sang.
Reminder:
The Secrets of Mary Bowser is our new Politics for the People Book Club selection.Â
Hope you will pick up your copy of the book today.Â
We will be talking with author Lois Leveen on Sunday, June 3rd at 7 pm EST.
Nice! Thanks, June.