Sleeping in the Forest by Mary Oliver
Sleeping in the Forest
by
Mary Oliver
I thought the earth remembered me,
She took me back so tenderly
Arranging her skirts
Her pockets full of lichens and seeds.
I slept as never before
A stone on the riverbed,
Nothing between me and the white fire of the stars,
But my thoughts.
And they floated light as moths
Among the branches of the perfect trees.
All night I heard the small kingdoms
Breathing around me.
The insects and the birds
Who do their work in darkness.
All night I rose and fell,
As if water, grappling with luminous doom.
By morning I had vanished at least a dozen times
Into something better.
Beautiful!!!
Beautiful. I’ve never read her before. Thank you for sharing with us.
So pleased you enjoyed this poem ladies. Isn’t her imagery fabulous?
You said it sister.
that was so beautiful. like a romanticists dream of camping.
it makes me feel like I am actually part of the earth. fantasy meets gardening 🙂
WOW – Love it!!! Thanks for sharing this, like the others I haven’t read her work yet. Heard her name before, but never “noticed” her before now.
I love her too. Thanks for commenting!
wow it is very intersting lyric poetry . mary oliver is my best poet
I <3 this poem. Thanks for sharing! This really helped me with my latest English project!
My pleasure. Happy to help 🙂
This was one of the first of Mary Oliver’s poems that I read. It has remained my favorite. As someone who has spent many a night camping surrounded by the sounds, the scents and the aliveness of a night in the woods, this beautiful poem speaks so purely to my heart.