Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Gratitude

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sunflowers

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My work is loving the world.
Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird –
equal seekers of sweetness.
Here the quickening yeast, there the blue plums.
There the clam deep in the speckled sand.

Are my boots old? Is my coat torn?
Am I no longer young, and still half-perfect? Let me
keep my mind on what matters,
which is my work,

which is mostly standing still and learning to be
astonished.
The phoebe, the delphinium.
The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture.
Which is mostly rejoicing, since all the ingredients are here,

which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart
and these body-clothes,
a mouth with which to give shouts of joy
to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam,
telling them all, over and over, how it is
that we live forever.

Mary Oliver, from Thirst: Poems

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Comments

  1. Happy Thanksgiving to you, Don and Scout. Have a wonderful day. I am only going to eat a half plate of food. I hope.

    • We’ll see how well I do with all the yummy food, Tana. We were good and didn’t make or buy a dessert.
      Happy Thanksgiving!

  2. I love Mary Oliver. This is the perfect poem for Thanksgiving. I love the idea of our work being to simply appreciate all the magic around us. Your blog does a great job typifying this view. Today a special thanks to you, Claudia, Don, and Scout, for making every day special, thoughtful and inspiring.

    • You are most welcome. I think this poem says it all for me. Mary Oliver knows the secret part of me, I think.
      Happy Thanksgiving!

  3. Happy Thanksgiving to you and Don and Scout (and a smile for Riley’s picture).
    I just read your post from yesterday, and I have to say that I’m thankful to have found your blog. Your posts are heartfelt and thoughtful and beautiful.

  4. Thank you, Claudia, for sharing this beauty. I have so many favorite lines from Mary Oliver. This is a wonderful poem for the day, and the image of sunflowers is lovely on this frosty morning. Thanks for a depthful (I know, that’s not really a word but I like it) and meaningful blog. Best to you, Don and Scout.

    • I rather like that word ‘depthful’ Becky! I may have to use it sometime.
      Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones.

  5. Spot-on PERFECT with your choice of Mary Oliver, Claudia. Spot-on! And a very happy day to everyone at your house. :>)

  8. Happy Thanksgiving to you, Don and Scout! I do miss the sunflowers…those are gorgeous! Did you get snow? ;)

    • We had a little sprinkling yesterday and the day before, but rain took over…I would rather have seen snow. Ah, well. It’s very cold here today and very windy. Happy Thanksgiving, Donna!

  9. Happy Thanksgiving to you both. Us Canadians have had ours and maybe be wishing for a piece of pumpkin pie but now the waist line. Valerie

  11. Mary Oliver I just the best. Thank you for all the energy and purpose you put into your daily posts; I look forward to each one. Wishing you and Don and Miss Scout a contented and cozy day. Sonja

  14. Happy Tofurky Day Claudia!
    Adore Mary Oliver, thanks for sharing this one with us today.
    We’re off soon for Thanksgiving at my cousins and her mom, the last of the older generation of our family.
    Happy happy happy to you and your Don and Scout! xo

  16. Happy Thanksgiving to you ! We have dinner in the oven and I am taking a little time to read my favorite blogs.
    It’s a good day.
    Claudia

  20. *:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*:._.:*~*:._.:
    *H*A*P*P*Y* *T*H*A*N*K*S*G*I*V*I*N*G*!*!*
    *:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*:._.:*~*:._.:

  21. Beautiful poem Claudia..just beautiful..Happy Thanksgiving to the three of you and many hugs for sharing your lives with us!

  24. Love, love, love this poem — thanks for sharing. Hoping your Thanksgiving was yummy, warm and filled with love. Ours was and now I am exhausted…need to go to bed, but just wanted to read some blogs first. Happy December (almost).

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