One thing I do know is that poetry, to be understood, must be clear. Mary Oliver clearpoetrything Change image and share on social
I learn a lot about my poems when I read them by the way people respond to them. Mary Oliver learnlotpeople Change image and share on social
I had a very dysfunctional family, and a very hard childhood. So I made a world out of words. And it was my salvation. Mary Oliver childhooddysfunctionalfamily Change image and share on social
I decided very early that I wanted to write. But I didn't think of it as a career. I didn't even think of it as a profession... It was the most exciting thing, the most powerful thing, the most wonderful thing to do with my life. Mary Oliver careerdecideearly share on social
I know the sag of the unfinished poem. And I know the release of the poem that is finished. Mary Oliver finishpoemrelease Change image and share on social
I simply do not distinguish between work and play. Mary Oliver distinguishplaysimply Change image and share on social
I'm going to die one day. I know it's coming for me, too. I'll be a mountain, I'll be a stone on the beach. I'll be nourishment. Mary Oliver beachcomeday Change image and share on social
As a child, what captivated me was reading the poems myself and realizing that there was a world without material substance which was nevertheless as alive as any other. Mary Oliver alivecaptivatechild Change image and share on social
The woods that I loved as a child are entirely gone. The woods that I loved as a young adult are gone. The woods that most recently I walked in are not gone, but they're full of bicycle trails. Mary Oliver adultbicyclechild Change image and share on social
I read Rumi, the 13th-century Persian poet, every day. Mary Oliver 13thcenturyday Change image and share on social
