Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Clouds fall like feathers.

The whole nation has been colder than usual, I hear. I'm glad to live where it doesn't normally snow, as I feel too old to deal with the work it requires. Still, I have experienced some snowfalls from time to time in my life and I appreciate the imagery in this poem.

 
White-Eyes

In winter
all the singing is in
the tops of the trees
where the wind-bird

with its white eyes
shoves and pushes
among the branches.
Like any of us

he wants to go to sleep,
but he's restless—
he has an idea,
and slowly it unfolds

from under his beating wings
as long as he stays awake.
But his big, round music, after all,
is too breathy to last.

So, it's over.
In the pine-crown
he makes his nest,
he's done all he can.

I don't know the name of this bird,
I only imagine his glittering beak
tucked in a white wing
while the clouds—

which he has summoned
from the north—
which he has taught
to be mild, and silent—

thicken, and begin to fall
into the world below
like stars, or the feathers
of some unimaginable bird

that loves us,
that is asleep now, and silent—
that has turned itself
into snow.

--Mary Oliver

Source: Poetry (October 2002), and the Poetry Foundation's collection of Winter Poems.

 

7 comments:

Pom Pom said...

M.O. is a lovely poet. Thank you for sharing, GJ!
AND THANK YOU so much for the treasure you sent me. I shall raise a tea cup to you/for you!

Martha said...

What kind of weather do you have? Sweet poem, we were just thinking of the birds and plan to get bird seed for them. We currently have about 5 inches of snow and have had temperatures about high of 29 this whole week (last night it got down to 5'F)! This is the best snowfall we've had in years in southern Ohio. ♥ Last year and the year before we had one or 2 snowfalls with a few inches.

Lorrie said...

Ah. Lovely, lovely imagery. Mary Oliver has such a gift.

I'm wishing for snow, but it's unlikely. Rain in the forecast.

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

What a poet she is! Lovely.

Debbie said...

what a beautiful poem!! we get lot's of snow at the jersey shore. number three for this season, is coming tomorrow!!

it's been cold here but i love all the different seasons!!

Leslie said...

Beautiful! We have only had ice but I've had my fill for this year. Then I realized winter doesn't begin until the 21st. Argh.

M.K. said...

Oh GJ, what a bounty of poems you are giving us these Advent days! Thank so you much. I need to read more of this kind of thing. I need to attempt to write poems too, but I can only do so when my mind is relaxed and loose and well-massaged. Not these days. Thanks again, friend.