The Journey (a poem by Mary Oliver)
/
This poem has meant a lot to me over the years. It’s a powerful reminder of the transformation that happens when we listen to our own soul.
Join me in being moved by this poem, over and over again.
Start by taking time to read the poem a few times and then take some time to consider what this poem has for you today.
Feel free to download the FREE printable PDF and post it somewhere where you can refer to it often.
The Journey by Mary Oliver
One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice --
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voice behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do --
determined to save
the only life that you could save.