Felicity

by Mary Oliver

“Do you have the answers? And if you do, would you tell me?” The roses laughed softly. “Forgive us,” they said. “But as you can see, we are just now entirely busy being roses.”

There is nothing more pathetic than caution when headlong might save a life, even, possibly, your own.

only if there are angels in your head will you ever, possibly, see one.

Isn’t everything in the world shared?

Try to find the right place for yourself. If you can’t find it, at least dream of it.

To understand many things you must reach out of your own condition.

Beauty can both shout and whisper, and still it explains nothing.

The point is, you’re you, and that’s for keeps.

Why do people keep asking to see God’s identity papers when the darkness opening into morning is more than enough?

This must mean something, I don’t know what. But certainly it doesn’t mean he hasn’t been an excellent cricket all his life.

Things! Burn them, burn them! Make a beautiful fire! More room in your heart for love, for the trees! For the birds who own nothing—the reason they can fly.

Humility Poems arrive ready to begin. Poets are only the transportation.

Did Think, Let’s Go About This Slowly I did think, let’s go about this slowly. This is important. This should take some really deep thought. We should take small thoughtful steps. But, bless us, we didn’t.