Bill Moyers interviewed the poet Robert Bly last night on public TV. Bly read this wonderful poem:
Things to Think
Think in ways you’ve never thought before.
If the phone rings, think of it as carrying a message
Larger than anything you’ve ever heard,
Vaster than a hundred lines of Yeats.
Think that someone may bring a bear to your door,
Maybe wounded and deranged; or think that a moose
Has risen out of the lake, and he’s carrying on his antlers
A child of your own whom you’ve never seen.
When someone knocks on the door, think that he’s about
To give you something large: tell you you’re forgiven,
Or that it’s not necessary to work all the time, or that it’s
Been decided that if you lie down no one will die.
~ Robert Bly
2 comments:
Whoa... pretty surreal. I esp. like the thoughts about resting, as I've been under the pile lately and feeling a bit burned out for pushing so hard. Rest is good.
Yes, I guess the imagery is pretty surreal, but as metaphoric language I think the poem speaks beautifully about the power of creative imagination in our lives. It makes me reflect on the importance of retaining a sense of almost child-like wonder--a joy in being allowed to participate in the magic and mystery of the world.
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