The Place I Want to Get Back To

is where

in the pinewoods

in the moments between

the darkness

and first light

two deer

came walking down the hill

and when they saw me

they said to each other, okay,

this one is okay,

let’s see who she is

and why she is sitting

on the ground like that,

so quiet, as if

asleep, or in a dream,

but, anyway, harmless;

and so they came

on their slender legs

and gazed upon me

not unlike the way

I go out to the dunes and look

and look and look

into the faces of the flowers;

and then one of them leaned forward

and nuzzled my hand, and what can my life

bring to me that could exceed

that brief moment?

For twenty years

I have gone every day to the same woods,

not waiting, exactly, just lingering.

Such gifts, bestowed,

can’t be repeated.

If you want to talk about this

come to visit. I live in the house

near the corner, which I have named

Gratitude.

(c) Mary Oliver

Write about an enchanted moment when you encountered a wild creature on your wanderings/ What happened? What did you notice? How did you feel?
The poet imagines the deer saying to each other, “this one is okay.” What do you imagine the wild creature you encountered said about you? Write your reflections in your journal.
What is the most intense emotional experience you’ve had with a wild animal? Write a poem beginning with the words, “If you want to talk about this…”

Please share your writings and observations by leaving a comment below.

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