the fabulous erin at
rag and stone sent this poem to me a while back when i was really struggling. (funny, i just went to her blog to link it and she has a post about mary oliver there now.) the idea for this necklace has been brewing for a while now, and the with the arrival of all of those tinies, it became a reality.
wild geese
you do not have to be good.
you do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
you only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
tell me about despair, yours, and i will tell you mine.
meanwhile the world goes on.
meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting --
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
~ mary oliver ~
this poem speaks directly to my soul, on so many levels. it is such a perfect piece, such a fabulous expression of pain and hopefulness and connection, puts things into excellent perspective.
the sweetest wild goose, in flight, with tourmaline, iolite, kyanite, london blue topaz, and apatite stones set on top and apatite, kyanite, amazonite, austrian crystal, chalcedony, and iolite beads wire-wrapped into the chain.
my favorite part of the poem is this:
you only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.
(hazel took this photo.)
and you know what? i have been working so hard on that. the past couple of years of my life i have been really honing in on the things that bring me joy and embracing them and loving them and experiencing them whenever i can... quality time with my girls, the touch of my man, playing music and singing with him too, skiing and hiking and biking and moving my body, enriched time in my shop, live music (especially the felice brothers), traveling, long drives by myself, walking with olive and my ipod, getting into bed early with a good book, (or better yet, the bathtub), sleeping under the stars, hanging out at the local brewery with family and friends, MUSIC...
what does the soft animal of your body love?
are you loving it?
3 comments:
Truly beautiful on so many levels, both in word and in the beautiful piece you have created. I struggle with being gentle and kind with myself, so this piece in particular really speaks to me.
These days I'm thinking more about creating folk art pieces. I'm experimenting with painting copper. I'm crocheting a blanket and planning our garden. I'm trying to slow down and be present for my husband and kids and friends and enjoy those little bits of fun in the monotony of every day.
This is just fab! Love this.....for so many reasons. The poem is near and dear to me also, a poem that really hits you in the guts and sticks with you is the sign of speaking to your soul....what a beautiful translation in silver and stone!
p.s. I really do believe we are so harsh with ourselves sometimes, it's nice to be reminded that we are only human. and we are deserving of a little forgiveness. and we deserve to be kind to ourselves.
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