Visiting the Graveyard
When I think of death
it is a bright enough city
and every year more faces there
are familiar
but not a single one
notices me,
though I long for it,
and when they talk together,
which they do
very quietly,
it's in an unknowable language—
I can catch the tone
but understand not a single word—
and when I open my eyes
there's the mysterious field, the beautiful trees.
There are the stones.
— Mary Oliver,
from "Red Bird"
I can't resist an old cemetery and am always making Mark pull off the road to let me explore. Both of these images of stones are from a cemetery on Route 394, just down the road from the Chautauqua Institute in New York state.
As for Mary Oliver, she's won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. In her poetry, as well as her essays, she observes nature with a keen, unsentimental eye. Birds and flowers, in particular, are constant subjects; ones that quickly lured this gardener deeper into Oliver's work the first time someone showed me one of her books. Her language is precise, her imagery true. I bought "Red Bird" as a treat for myself at the beginning of poetry month. Before April is over, go treat yourself to some Mary Oliver.
I love the poem. And the photos are beautiful.
Posted by: LazyMom | Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 06:27 AM
I love exploring old cemeteries too. I'll look for Mary Oliver's poems.
Posted by: Pam/Digging (Austin) | Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 10:44 AM
Mary Oliver's poems are wonderful...this one is really lovely. I love expoloring old cemeteries, too...gail
Posted by: Gail | Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 10:48 AM
I have several of Mary Olivers books. I just love her poetry. As to cemeteries, well, I am often drawn to them. The stones, the stories thought about when reading inscriptions. An old friend of mine has "I told you I was sick" on his grave stone. I wonder what people will think of this in the future. He was quite a character.
Posted by: Lisa at Greeenbow | Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 06:36 PM
A friend introduced me to Oliver's poetry a number of years ago in a nature drawing class. It was the best thing that happened in the class!
Just think of all the people who will see your friend's gravestone and be amused. A light moment when perhaps they are having a difficult time themselves.
Posted by: LINDA from EACH LITTLE WORLD | Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 07:33 PM