DELAYED GIFTS

Today we are on the eve of a new moon,
a little after 4 am tomorrow.
A time to wash my hair, shower until the water feels like rain,
and bask in freshness.

I knew Mary Oliver would have a word or two on that:

THE SWEETNESS OF DOGS

What do you say, Percy? I am thinking
of sitting out on the sand to watch
the moon rise.  It’s full tonight.
So we go

and the moon rises, so beautiful it
makes me shudder, makes me think about
time and space, make me take
measure of myself: one iota
pondering heaven.  thus we sit, myself

thinking how grateful I am for the moon’s
perfect beauty and also, oh! how rich
it is to love the world.  Percy, meanwhile,
leans against me and gazes up into
my face.  As though I were just as wonderful
as the perfect moon.”

………..MARY OLIVER, in the book of poetry,
Dog Songs.

Back to the subject I chose: Delayed Gifts.
I received that poetry book at Christmas, 2013.
I read the last poem, a middle poem, loved it
and then the long winter of 2014 took over.

New moon or full moon, the words touch me
and I am grateful for this morning, for the idea
of me being one iota pondering heaven, and
how rich it is to love the world.

Oh, yes,

always with love,
Mom/Mimi/Toni/Antoinette

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