We lost the revelatory poet Mary Oliver today. And while others will remember her for her Pulitzer Prize and her contributions as a leading American author, I will prefer to remember her as the author who can make every person in my house laugh, cry, smile, and nod in agreement – all with her artfully designed phrases.
I will also remember her for her Poetry Handbook, which I think should be required reading for all musicians who sets words to music. She includes a lifetime of wisdom in a slender volume.
Most of all, I will remember her for this excerpt from the longer poem Sometimes.
Instructions for living a life.
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.