A Letter from Home Mary Oliver
She sends me news of blue jays, frost,
Of stars and now the harvest moon
That rides above the stricken hills.
Lightly, she speaks of cold, of pain,
And lists what is already lost.
Here where my life seems hard and slow,
I read of glowing melons piled
Beside the door, and baskets filled
With fennel, rosemary and dill,
While all she could not gather in
Or hid in leaves, grow black and falls.
Here where my life seems hard and strange,
I read her wild excitement when
Stars climb, frost comes, and blue jays sing.
The broken year will make no change
Upon her wise and whirling heart; -
She knows how people always plan
To live their lives, and never do.
She will not tell me if she cries.
I touch the crosses by her name;
I fold the pages as I rise,
And tip the envelope, from which
Drift scraps of borage, woodbine, rue
Reading the poem above makes me think so much of how far I am away from my home and my mother. When I graduated from high school, I couldn't get away from my hometown any faster. I could barely stand my mom in those day and I was so ready to particpate in all the cliches of "leaving the nest", "spreading my wings", and "finding myself". It's not until nearly 10 years later, 800 miles from where I grew up, that I realize how much I can't wait to return to everything that is secure, real, and beautiful- to my family.
1 comment:
I know what you mean! I could not wait to get out of my house after I graduated. It was so exciting and I didn't come home much the first year. However, now that I am used to being on my own I have started to miss my family and home more often. I am very close to my family and am always glad to see them. Luckily I only live an hour and a half away which makes for a pretty quick trip!
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