how the clasp of nothing takes her in
Heron Rises From The Dark, Summer Pond
by Mary Oliver
So heavy
is the long-necked, long-bodied heron,
always it is a surprise
when her smoke-colored wings
open
and she turns
from the thick water,
from the black sticks
of the summer pond,
and slowly
rises into the air
and is gone.
Then, not for the first or the last time,
I take the deep breath
of happiness, and I think
how unlikely it is
that death is a hole in the ground,
how improbable
that ascension is not possible,
though everything seems so inert, so nailed
back into itself–
the muskrat and his lumpy lodge,
the turtle,
the fallen gate.
And especially it is wonderful
that the summers are long
and the ponds so dark and so many,
and therefore it isn’t a miracle
but the common thing,
this decision,
this trailing of the long legs in the water,
this opening up of the heavy body
into a new life: see how the sudden
gray-blue sheets of her wings
strive toward the wind; see how the clasp of nothing
takes her in.
Back in the Buckeye State. I never read Mary Oliver unless I’m in Ohio. I’m not sure why, but the poems make the most sense here. This is one of my favorites. Tomorrow, I’m going to drive down to see the blue herons. I hope I’ll be able to get some good pictures.
The trees here are about a month behind Georgia, as is the weather. It’s been rainy, though I’d expect that from Ohio, especially as a welcoming. This afternoon was beautiful though. I was able to sit out in the warmth and watch two male chickadees compete at the feeder for the female. And then, suddenly, a black squirrel came through the ivy, which startled me at first, confusing it for a giant black rat since I haven’t seen one in awhile. I read that at one time the Ohio River Valley all the way north to the Lake was so thick with trees that the black squirrels were able to move all the way from the Ohio to Erie without ever touching the ground.
And still, to me, Ohio seems pretty much the same, and there’s such a great comfort in that. I haven’t been down to the valley yet for a run, but hopefully this week I’ll be able to stop making lists and packing and worrying about the move to take a few still moments among the marshes. They are my best memories here, and I no doubt want to take it with me.
On the music side of life, I’m so delighted that Duffy finally made it to the US, even though the CD has been out in Europe for months. I hope she doesn’t go the way of other soulster Brits. And since I couldn’t decide on which to post, I’m posting both Mercy and Rockferry.
it’s no real pleasure in life
Today is Flannery O’Connor’s birthday. She is my favorite writer of all time, though I can’t pinpoint the exact reason why, exactly, except to say that she was a champion for truth in art, regardless of whose truth it is or if truth exists at all.
I was trying to find a good quote from one of my favorite stories, but I simply can’t decide on one. Instead, I’ll leave with this pearl:
When in Rome, do as you done in Milledgeville.
the downside of social networking
Today I finally changed my relationship status to “single” on Facebook, which I have been dreading since the breakup. I’ve heard the stories about what happens to the mini feed. On CNN they even covered a story about a college girl who didn’t know she had been broken up with until she saw it on facebook. The whole thing is just awful and may be a reason why people stay in relationships longer than they are suited too, to avoid a website declaring your singledom.
I did it anyway. When I got back to my profile, I saw, to my horror, the mini-feed with “Jessica is single” and a little broken heart next to it. I would have preferred “another one bites the dust” or “another step toward twenty cats.”
And I think they could have thought of something more original than the broken heart. Like a little ugly woman with a leg missing or a chair on fire or an empty bottle of bourbon or a single chopstick trying to spear a piece of sushi or a lonely meatball rolling off a mountain.
Now those would be more accurate. So it goes.
pancakes and translation
Well, I’ve finally decided to move myself over to wordpress. I’ve been wanting to do it for a long time, but the setting up process always makes it a slow go. While I’ve enjoyed my time at blogger, wordpress is a much prettier place: graphics, interfaces, css, and html formatting are all more welcoming over here, in my opinion of course.
So, in the next few weeks, I’ll be setting this little lady up, and then announce an official change over. I’m feeling a little sad, to tell you the truth, like I’m giving away my first blog baby. Or maybe it’s that sensation of pity that you get when watching a sci fi movie and the new robot who can perfectly fold sweaters, harvest stem cells, and make flawless pancakes replaces the one whose most impressive skill is translating hello how are you in 10 languages.
Thus is the nature of technology I suppose. Anyway, if you don’t know wordpress, you should check it out. And I’ll let everyone know when I’m making the official changeover.
