Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
With your one wild and precious life?
~ Mary Oliver, “The summer day,” New and Selected Poems, 1992
At work yesterday, my secret Santa gave me a copy of Mary Oliver’s book of poems titled American Primitive. I’ve been seeing Mary Oliver’s name lately … I can’t remember where, and it’s not anything anyone would know – would they? My secret Santa remains just that. S/he wrapped the book with a typed note. We’re copy editors – our writing is distinctive. I used the Google machine to seek more info about Mary and found the above. It reminds me of those we’ve lost … all wild and precious lives … some went out fighting, and some laid down at the end. All our lives are wildly precious.
What is it I plan to do?
Just this, and I thank God every day that I can do it.
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 
“Secret Santas” are here for a reason. We think the thing to do is to continue to thank the good will and love of others for their willingness to keep on… 🙂
Mary Oliver is one author worth the time to find her work…
Agreed. 🙂
Blessings on your life…
Thanks BJ for sharing this. We have a Mary Oliver book by our bedside, she’s a marvelous poet. I was contemplating last night that I want to memorize a beautiful poem that I can recite at any time to share…one that wouldn’t be too long (lol)! I think this might be it! Ask and you share receive! In gratitude for you sharing your precious and wild life with the horses and with us….
This is a good one – and relevant!
thanks for passing along the mary oliver info. from here i went to amazon to find
some of her titles. with that googled a local library and found some were available.
if one goes to any public library they will find mary (if available) under catalog
number 811.54. happy holidays TJ………………GWD