Put your lips to the world…

The other day I told you I was heading out to do a little exploring, in anticipation of our June 21 Not-So-Secret Adventure Weekend. Friend Nancy, daughter Maiah and I drove 200 miles, roaming all over southeast Tennessee, meeting fascinating people, making lovely discoveries, and eating our share of fresh fried catfish!

And this was all while doing our best to to see how far we could go without driving on any road we’d ever been on before. It was a fun, crazy, creative way to spend a weekend, and I can’t wait to tell you more about it later.

But for now, I have this treat for you. Read it over and over. Read it out loud. Read it slowly. Deliciously.

And enjoy.

Mornings at Blackwater

Mary Oliver

For years, every morning, I drank
from Blackwater Pond.
It was flavored with oak leaves and also, no doubt,
the feet of ducks.

And always it assuaged me
from the dry bowl of the very far past.

What I want to say is
that the past is the past,
and the present is what your life is,
and you are capable
of choosing what that will be,
darling citizen.

So come to the pond,
or the river of your imagination,
or the harbor of your longing,
and put your lips to the world.

And live
your life.

******************************

I shared this poem with the Courageous Women who joined me for our Secret Adventure back in March. They loved it, so I thought I’d share it with you. Mary Oliver has long been one of my very favorite poets. Famously shy, she granted an extremely rare interview last year with Maria Shriver, which you can watch here.

What about you?

Do you have a favorite poem, quote, maybe a song lyric, that stirs your soul?