Mary Oliver writes,
Instructions for living a life.
First, pay attention
oh how I try
each day to pay attention
to listen for even the least
to see beyond the words
to peer into the deep.
Oh, God how I try,
yet my human frailty
like Peter, James and John
fail me when I need it most.
Oh, I am astonished
astonished flowers bloom
after burial under snow
astonished by new birth
by the sounds of the birds
the rising of the sun
blood red in the eastern sky
the daily turning of life
the love I receive
even when I’m not lovable.
Yes, I’m astonished
that my life is so full
of that which God provides.
Oh how I want to tell
to shout out to all
about this amazing world
the music in the air
the brightness of love
the color of the forest
as the leaves once green
turn into a blaze of reds
setting the world on fire
the fire of the Spirit
that baptizes us with
the water of God’s tears
weeping for humanity’s folly
hanging from the cross.
