Love … and life
January 26, 2013 21 Comments
inspired by the Weekly Photo Challenge: Love
a poem and a photo of one of my grand-daughters both remind me of life… and remind me that I can be in love any time I open myself to life (easy to say, but shamingly easy to forget how to do).
Self-Portrait
by Mary Oliver
I wish I was twenty and in love with life
and still full of beans.
Onward, old legs!
There are the long, pale dunes; on the other side
the roses are blooming and finding their labor
no adversity to the spirit.
Upward, old legs! There are the roses, and there is the sea
shining like a song, like a body
I want to touch
though I’m not twenty
and won’t be again but ah! seventy. And still
in love with life. And still
full of beans.
“Self-Portrait” by Mary Oliver, from Red Bird. © Beacon Press, 2008.
Once upon a time … … …
I also turned cartwheels – my body remembers well, it just doesn’t actually do it any more.
Very nice and wise
Hi – you are up and about – quick to reply – its all in the attitude
I’m so grateful for being shown this poem. In the words of the Quaker George Fox, it spoke to my condition. It will become my mantra.
That moves me – I am trying to write a long email to you, but as usual it is getting complicated. I am hoping your condition is well just now, xxx E
Oh, lovely! such a perfect match – but when are we going to see you doing handstands?
maybe you would hold my feet – I would need a helping hand these days
I just love Mary Olivers poetry and hadn’t read this one before..so thank you
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Glad you liked it – I am endlessly amazed at how she captures the essentials worth noticing. A truly wonderful poet.
nice, clean, happy image!
I love it!
A handstand or cartwheels on the beach; now you gotta know am grin’n ear to ear here, as my own imagination takes off. Upside down, legs in the air, eyes out to sea. Here’s to beans! Now am off to find pictures of beach roses I have taken, time to rem·i·nisce……….you could do cartwheels and handstands, I never could , ever.
I do like how you comment – now i’m grin’n too – beach roses, folk to connect with, doesn’t always happen and I’m thinking of your great photo of Payo Valdes and that rare true friendship you recognise – here’s to beach roses too
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I can do cartwheels too.. when I was still young.
You look young to me – I think I could do them till I was about 50 – but I forgot these things need to be kept up. Will you have another try sometime soon?
Yes I will.. hahaha.
Lovely poem, Elspeth. You’re one up on me: I could never do cartwheels even at 20.
I would never have guessed that – all the stories of Big Al and Mac and the kitten/cat had given me a picture of someone forever in a cartwheel – in the best possible love of life way of course!