Prayers Made of Grass

Every time I read a Mary Oliver poem, I am pulled in fast and deep. Her writing resonates with me on both an earthly and spiritual level. I’ve not read nearly enough of her, but I know I’ll continue seeking her words.

Most recently, she spoke to me when I read a poem of hers just after returning from five days at a Carmelite monastery, where I found, as has Mary Oliver, that my prayers were made out of grass — grass with dew, green and gleaming; a teardrop, a stalk reaching upward, a yearning for the divine.

“…prayers that are made out of grass…” (from “Mindful” by Mary Oliver)

I know I’m so very blessed by these escapades, which allow me focused time on larger writing projects, and in addition to that, nourishing food, solitude and connection.

With Vicky, my Carmel roommate and real-life friend, during our fall ’12 visit

You can read “Mindful” in its entirety at Best Poems. For now, let me give you the beginning as a way to introduce some photos from my time away.

Every day
I see or hear
something
that more or less
 
kills me
with delight,
that leaves me
like a needle
 
in the haystack
of light.
It was what I was born for –
to look, to listen…”

Yes yes, I see, I hear, and I am killed with delight over it all.

It is what I was born for — what we all were, I’d imagine — to look, to listen, and to that I’ll add, to love.