Thursday, July 1, 2010 at 12:29PM 
My sister and I take Uncle Bill for a swim, Vermont 1972, photographer unknown
The Summer Day
by Mary Oliver
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
and thanks to Denyse, who first read me Mary Oliver at midnight in our rental car in the parking lot of a cheap motel in New mexico.
Reader Comments (13)
what a great photo of an idyllic summer day, and such a good poem. semi-related: on design sponge today, they featured a before/after of a coffee table into which someone hand-stamped the entirety of "The Summer Day"
One of my favorite poems. Thank you for reminding me of it.
What a very beautiful poem.
Can I ask, are you a twin? I'm not but my boys are :-)
I am! And I think that being born a twin was the great luck of my life.
I'm so happy to hear that, my two just love and support each other so beautifully. Such an amazing relationship.
What a beautiful poem. I had no idea you were a twin. I am really looking forward to your next fabric on demand collection. Any ideas when it will be up?
i felt such joy seeing that picture of you and your sister...it reminds me so much of my boys right now, constantly naked and together. not in vermont though.
and then i read the poem and felt my heart sing, thank you for sharing. happy summering to you.
hi flowerpress....my boys are twins too. blessed all around, the readers here.
Beautiful poem!
That photo and poem just filled me with such joy. thank you thank you thank you.
I just loved this little poem. I never noticed the way these little creature's jaws went from side to side. Just found you from Janet Bocket's top 10. Shall watch you for inspiration!
Oh, my! I have two year old identical twin daughters with, basically, the same haircuts as you and your sister do in that photo - love it! I think we'll head to the local swim spot this afternoon and go for a skinny dip!
Heather, where in VT? I was born in Brattleboro in 1972... and I'm still here ;o)