Mary Oliver writes many poems about life’s mysteries, life’s questions, and the sacred spaces we enter in listening. During Sabbath time, I use her poetry to focus on stillness and allow questions to emerge. They poke their heads forward and are always joined by other questions. The answers are less relevant than the wondering that flows from each question. The mysteries are truly too marvelous to be understood.
Truly, we live with mysteries too marvelous
to be understood.
How grass can be nourishing in the
mouths of the lambs.
How rivers and stones are forever
in allegiance with gravity,
while we ourselves dream of rising.
How two hands touch and the bonds
will never be broken.
How people come, from delight or the
scars of damage,
to the comfort of a poem.
Let me keep my distance, always, from those
who think they have the answers.
Let me keep company always with those who say
“Look!” and laugh in astonishment,
and bow their heads.
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About ivonprefontaine
In keeping with bell hooks and Noam Chomsky, I consider myself a public and dissident intellectual. Part of my work is to move beyond (transcend) institutional dogmas that bind me to defend freedom, raising my voice to be heard on behalf of those who seek equity and justice in all their forms.
I completed my PhD in Philosophy of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA. My dissertation and research was how teachers experience becoming teachers and their role as leaders.
I focus on leading, communicating, and innovating in organizations. This includes mindfuful servant-leadership, World Cafe events, Appreciative Inquiry, and expressing one's self through creativity. I offer retreats, workshops, and presentations that can be tailored to your organzations specific needs.
I published peer reviewed articles about schools as learning organizations, currere as an ethical pursuit, and hope as an essential element of adult eductaion. I published three poems and am currently preparing my poetry to publish as an anthology of poetry.
I present on mindful leadership, servant leadership, schools as learning organizations, how teachers experience becoming teachers, assessement, and critical thinking. I facilitate mindfulness, hospitality retreats. and World Cafe Events using Appreciative Inquiry.
I am writing and researching about various forms of leadership, how teachers inform and form their identity as a particular teacher, schools as learning organizations, hope and its anticipatory relationship with the future, and hope as an essential element in learning.
ivonprefontaine
Teacher as Transformer 
Beautiful and true, thank you.
You are welcome Elizabeth.
Beautiful writing. 🙂
Thank you.
Mary Oliver’s writing is profound, simple, true, beautiful. She’s my favorite poet. Judy
She is a favourite of mine as well. Favourite is relative and depends on what I need at the moment.
Oops…didn’t notice that I was repeating two adjectives from the message above. Oh well. Just proves their truth…
there is a sacred beauty
and wonder
and knowing
nothing
Wonder is such an incredible word. We can wonder about the wonders of the Universe.
wander
~
wonder
Just change a letter. Wandering and wondering along living paths.
You have an art of picking out some beautiful poems. Thanks
Thank you Elizabeth and you are welcome. When it comes to beautiful poetry, picking a Mary Oliver poem provides considerable room for good picks.
Love this poem, Ivon! Inspiring, indeed!
Thank you Amy.
I could get lost in a Mary Oliver poem all day long!
The beauty of it is there are many of her poems to get lost in/
I so love this woman’s poetry. Thank you again for introducing me to her months ago. Blessings, Natalie 🙂
You are welcome Natalie. I am glad you enjoy her writing and thinking.
Mary Oliver poems – what a delight. Thanks for this.
You are welcome Cynthia. Mary Oliver is always a delight for me.
Such a good poem, and I agree completely, laughing in astonishment and being comfortable with not having the answers is a wise place to be! 🙂
Mary Oliver is a wonderful poet who finds inspiring ways to speak in her poetry/
Reblogged this on àlaMuze Notes and commented:
Thanks to Teacher as Transformer, I have just been introduced to poet Mary Oliver. Enjoy the beauty of Nature and Spirit.