Mary Oliver #2- "Invitation"

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I loved this poem by Mary Oliver because it reminded me most of a Sabbath- taking time to slow down, to observe, and to just be. In this poem, Oliver implores the reader to linger a little bit longer in their day to notice the birds singing, to listen to their melody just for the sake of singing. The birds do not strive to beat each other, or for their own sake, but for the pure joy of singing. I have noticed that throughout Oliver's poems, she continuously references singing for the joy of singing. We should all sing more often, in my opinion. Although this is a specific example of slowing down, I think we can all apply this principle to our lives. Whether it is looking up and around on our way to class, or choosing to walk alone/without music in our free time can open our eyes to a whole new world of experiences around us. My favorite line in the poem is in the last stanza:

"It could mean something. It could mean everything. It could be what Rilke meant, when he wrote: You must change your life."

I think what Oliver is getting at here is that we have the chance to change our lives by determining the pace at which we move through our day, and what we choose to stop and take note of. It is especially easy in the hustle and bustle of our college lives to move throughout our day without truly looking up and recognizing the nature around us, or the beauty of our life. The photo I chose for this post is an example of one moment in my life in which I can remember really looking around. I hope that it captures what that moment was like for me.  

Endless potential, Retiro Park, Madrid Spain, 2023 

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