From Poem 133: The Summer Day by Mary Oliver
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention,
how to fall down into the grass,
how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed,
how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
When is the last time you knelt in the grass? When is the last time you strolled without rushed walking or running? Paid close attention to leaves, bark, bugs?
Write to yourself what you remember about being carefree and curious. Can you still be that way?
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Mary Oliver (1935-2019) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet. She published several poetry collections, including Dog Songs: Poems (Penguin Books, 2015).