This poem moves me because it speaks to that moment, that day, when we know – it is time – it is our time – to change – to transform. It speaks to that moment when we make the shift of living from heart and walking through an unseen wall into what our future is calling us to do.<\/p>\n
“The whole house began to tremble” – so many parts of us object – feel afraid – tell us that we can’t do it. Yet the poem goes on to reassure: “you knew what you had to do” and you didn’t stop. Everything hangs on taking the first step..it is not enough to know; we must begin.<\/p>\n
It is written in many places, including my own writings, that to journey into a ‘new’ life, we must leave behind our outworn ways of being in the world. Often we hold dear to these ways and parting with them can be difficult and painful. But it is necessary: there can be no new life without a death of some kind. In leaving the past behind, we walk through our fear of the unknown…perhaps a fear of success or achievement. And we walk more deeply into life – not away from it.<\/p>\n
This poem speaks to our journey of eating mindfully one step following another – of finding our voice and our determination, courage and strength – to save our own lives, the only life we can ever change.<\/p>\n
And it speaks to the birth of a new self, not one shaped by conditioning of the past. Our new voice is authentic with a flavor all our own, tasting of truth, sacredness and beauty.<\/p>\n
How does this poem, The Journey<\/em>, impact you? Are you being asked to transform – or are you feeling validated and encouraged in your transformation? What are you being asked to leave behind? What is your experience?<\/p>\n One day you finally knew \u00a9Mary Oliver, The Journey, Dream Work<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This poem moves me because it speaks to that moment, that day, when we know – it is time – it is our time – to change – to transform. It speaks to that moment when we make the shift of living from heart and walking through an unseen wall into what our future is calling us to do.<\/p>\n “The whole house began to tremble” <\/p>\n
\nwhat you had to do, and began,
\nthough the voices around you
\nkept shouting
\ntheir bad advice —
\nthough the whole house
\nbegan to tremble
\nand you felt the old tug
\nat your ankles.
\n“Mend my life!”
\neach voice cried.
\nBut you didn’t stop.
\nYou knew what you had to do,
\nthough the wind pried
\nwith its stiff fingers
\nat the very foundations,
\nthough their melancholy
\nwas terrible.
\nIt was already late
\nenough, and a wild night,
\nand the road full of fallen
\nbranches and stones.
\nBut little by little,
\nas you left their voices behind,
\nthe stars began to burn
\nthrough the sheets of clouds,
\nand there was a new voice
\nwhich you slowly
\nrecognized as your own,
\nthat kept you company
\nas you strode deeper and deeper
\ninto the world,
\ndetermined to do
\nthe only thing you could do —
\ndetermined to save
\nthe only life you could save.<\/p>\n