“Reading poetry is an adventure in renewal, a creative act, a perpetual beginning, a rebirth of wonder.”
(Edward Hirsh)
If you are holding this book
by Mary Oliver (Dog Songs; 2013 Penguin)
You may not agree, you may not care, but
if you are holding this book you should know
that of all the sights I love in this world –
and there are plenty – very near the top of
the list is this one: dogs without leashes.
Mary Oliver made poetry accessible for me, both reading and writing it.
Her craft guidebook, A Poetry Handbook (1994, Ecco), was a humbling introduction into the hard work any craft requires.
Whether you are an Olympian, a musician, a novelist, a chef – to pursue a vocation is to learn, practice, and ply your craft. Hours, days, years; discipline, desire, commitment.
I love Oliver’s poetry because I don’t have to puzzle through layers of meaning to get at the heart of the poem. She writes simply, clearly, with spare yet vivid imagery. Her poems invite me into a specific moment. And I want to linger.
Here is a wonderful interview of Oliver with Krista Tippett of OnBeing.
“Wild Geese” and “The Summer Day” may be her most well-known poems. But it was her poems written in celebration of dogs, and the bonds we form with them, that introduced me to her work.
Dog Songs was a gift from my mom after my first dog died.
Patricia Franz writes picture books and poetry. She believes children, dogs, and sourdough have a lot to teach us about life, joy, and wonder. She has raised two boys, four dogs, and holds a master’s degree in Theology with a focus on children’s spirituality. Patricia, her husband, her Bernese Mountain dog, Bonny, and her sourdough starter split their time between the Arizona desert and the Sierra Nevada mountains. 
The quote by Hirsch is great inspiration.
Yes!