I enjoyed all of Oliver's poems, but the one that stood out to me was "Walking Home from Oak-Head." Oliver gives lovely descriptions of the winter weather. I could picture the things she described and it reminded me of home. I miss the winter weather and being in the snow and walking around in its beauty. But after reading that Oliver saw poetry as a spiritual practice, I looked beyond the literal picture of winter I had and dug for something deeper.
The title, "Walking Home from Oak-Head" is not just a journey through the woods, but rather our spiritual journey and how heaven is real. When Oliver mentions "home," she is not talking about a cottage in the woods, but our eternal home, Heaven. After some thought, these lines throughout this poem had new meaning for me. Such as: "or wander on slowly / like the still unhurried wind, / waiting, / as for a gift, / for the snow to begin / which it does / at first casually, / then, irrepressibly." I think that these lines are talking about the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can be like a wind around us; a presence that surrounds us. Also, there are the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and is a comfort to us. Or sometimes we wait for the evidence of speaking in tongues, by the Holy Spirit. And then when the Holy Spirit comes it's nice, but when we continue to engage in the presence, then the Holy Spirit comes more irrepressibly. We can't contain the Holy Spirit inside of us, but it all has to flow out and just become this presence around us.
When I first looked at this poem literally, it had a nice little story that gave me pretty pictures in my head. But reading through the text and the real meaning behind Oliver's words gave me an understanding of this "spiritual practice." It's so much deeper than the first time I read it. Oliver's writing is honestly a talent that she has been given, to weave in this spirituality so cleverly.
Lastly, the line "which is faithful beyond all our expressions of faith, / our deepest prayers" was powerful to me when I didn't even know what it really meant. But through this process, the answer to who or what is faithful, is simply Jesus. He is the one who is faithful, and He is my deepest prayer. I not only want Him to be in my life, but I need Him. He is my everything and I want to be like Him in all that I do.
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I went to Lake Bonny Park for this field trip, and I stayed there for at least 45 minutes. And my little poem was inspired by my time spent there.
The Things We Don't See
Every creature has its place in society,
Growing, spinning, crawling, flying, sitting.
This society is not for humans.
The trees, the grass, the water: all natural.
Through the calls, whispers and everyday
Chatter of this society,
Heard so near are the unnatural lives of motors,
Moving at a different pace.
How intricate and delicate are the webs spun.
Multitudes of complex and beautiful masterpieces,
Shimmering in the sunlight.
These creatures, living a life to catch others.
Not only catching, but living as a connector:
One who bridges the gap.
From one side to the other.
Staying strong.
Making as many ties as possible.
How often do we stop and think of the sparrow?
The one that God sees?
He watches over all the little things,
The little ones who struggle with just
Simple things.
We jump around, looking for the best position,
The best place to be.
Yet being just with the Creator is enough.
Being with Him and recognizing His voice
And His creation.
Yes, His works are wonderful, I know that
Full well.
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