Poemattic: Poetry and Art for the Soul

Mary Oliver’s poems are among my very favorite poems. I think I have most of her poetry books. Among them are The Leaf and the Cloud, American Primitive, House of light and Why I Wake Up Early. I recently wrote a list of reasons of why I wake up early which I cannot say is poetry but interesting and a learning experience for me about myself. People would ask me why I was such an early riser; I get up early even when I am on vacation and now in my retirement. It is habit I guess and I am definitely one of those creatures of habit. But After reading Mary Oliver’s poem Why I Wake up Early, I decided to write down the reasons or excuses I had for waking early. I wont bore you with the details but I will share her poem.

Why I wake up Early by Mary Oliver

Hello, sun in my face.

Hello, you who make the morning

and spread it over the fields

and into the faces of the tulips

and the nodding morning glories,

and into the windows of, even, the

miserable and the crotchety—

best preacher that ever was.

dear star, that just happens

to be where you are in the universe

to keep us from ever-darkness,

to ease us with warm touching,

to hold us in the great hands of light —

good morning, good morning, good morning,

watch, now, how I start the day

in happiness, in kindness.

Please me let me know what you think.