
(These herons were photographed in South America and South Africa).

“So heavy
is the long-necked, long-bodied heron,
always it is a surprise
when her smoke-colored wings

open
and she turns
from the thick water,
from the black sticks

of the summer pond,
and slowly
rises into the air
and is gone.

Then, not for the first or the last time,
I take the deep breath
of happiness, and I think
how unlikely it is

that death is a hole in the ground,
how improbable
that ascension is not possible,
though everything seems so inert, so nailed

back into itself–
the muskrat and his lumpy lodge,
the turtle,
the fallen gate.

And especially it is wonderful
that the summers are long
and the ponds so dark and so many,
and therefore it isn’t a miracle

but the common thing,
this decision,
this trailing of the long legs in the water,
this opening up of the heavy body

into a new life: see how the sudden
gray-blue sheets of her wings
strive toward the wind; see how the clasp of nothing
takes her in.

Cheers to you from Mary Oliver’s Heavenly Herons~
Source: Heron Rises From The Dark, Summer Pond, Mary Oliver.
OMC…this was so beautiful, Cindy💗COOL Pawkisses for a Hot Summer’s Day🐾😽💞
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Hugs and kisses back to you sweet guys ❤
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You are welcome.
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I love Mary Oliver. A wonderful duet poetry with photos…
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She is amazing isn’t she, and I know you would love her as I do Rebecca ❤
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Such a gift for words she had – as do you with your camera, Cindy. ❤
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Sweet friend. I took photos of my sweet peas today and thought of you ❤
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Aw, that’s so sweet of you to say. It warms my heart. 🙂
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It’s true ❤
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Absolutely beautiful, Cindy. Your stunning images pair so well with Oliver’s stunning poetry!
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Thank you Patti & Mary will be sorely missed ❤
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Great photos!
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Grazie Mille Gary!
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They’re naturals on camera
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They are made for the spotlight!
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Many thanks to you and Mary Oliver for the perfect interplay between word and image.
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Hugs to you Liz & thank you too ❤
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And heavenly photos. I was not familiar with this poem, but guessed almost immediately that it must be Mary Oliver. Love her work.
Alison
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Not surprised you do! Thank you Alison ❤
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Absolutely fabulous, Cindy!
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Awww, I love my blogging buddies!
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A wonderful collection. I like watching the ones on the beach patiently waiting … and designed for a quick strike. On the down side, I find their eyes to be a bit creepy.
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They remind me of dinosaurs. I had a Great Blue Heron on my doorstep a few years back. I walked by the door and saw it through the glass and the immediate thought that went through my mind was, “There’s dinosaur at the door!”
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🙂
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Stunning and that last photo…wow, what an ending.
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You are an awesome friend ❤
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Pingback: Memories of Mary~ — (incredible photographs by Cindy Knoke…look at all of them) | Rethinking Life
Gratitude to you sweet friend ❤
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Just lovely! 🙂
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Merci beaucoup!
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So kind! Thank you!
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Lovely to connect with you, Cindy! Your photos are stunning with words to match 🙂
Nina
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It is lovely to meet you and I admire your courage ❤
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Thank you for the encouragement, Cindy. 🙏🏻
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It is well deserved.
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What a great photo!Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
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Very pleased you enjoyed & cheers to you!
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Amazing shots. 🙂 Thank you for sharing them.
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Thank you more for appreciating them!
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Gorgeous photos, Cindy….those herons are such exhibitionists! 🙂
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Yes they are and slow to give up the spotlight!
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🙂
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Gorgeous birds, and lovely words.
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Grazie mille ❤
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😍
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Nice. They are heavenly.
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Thank you Darnell & cheers to you my friend~
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Stunning photos of the birds. Great job.
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Thank you Mary Ann & happy week ❤
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Much appreciated. To you as well.
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❤ ❤
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Finally enjoying a few days of summer weather here. Hope you are also.
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Wow. Yellow stockings, yellow shoes, blue caps & gorgeous feathers. How very fashionable! ❤
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Not a bit afraid to mix up those colors!
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The heron on top of the hippo is priceless. We had the same type of heron on our lake in Michigan and I took many great photos but of course the “hippo” is missing 🙂
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Laughing…the hippo definitely adds the ‘local flavor’ element! 😉
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Where I live, the only heron that is at all blue is the bluish gray “great blue” heron. (While it is indeed great, I dislike having the word in the name when there is no “little blue” heron.) The blue heron’s flight is remarkable, but my fondest heron memory is of one so intent on foraging that my walking by a pond did not spook it into flight:
*Swamp Colors*
Ignoring pink and
yellow lilies, blue heron
stabs and swallows fish.
Too bad your eye and camera were not there.
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Everything you wrote here is pure poetry, with the added remarkableness of being completely true. I know of each bird you speak, and especially the little blue heron, but mostly you caught so perfectly, the intensiveness of heron concentration. It is beyond Zen. It is before Zen. These are old birds. Your heron was intent on hunting, but not so intent, that she was unable to recognize you were not a threat to her. Birds are mysterious this way. They seem to know. And you are remarkable for feeling this. Your poem captures this perfectly and beautifully. I wish I was there, so I could add my photos to your thoughts.
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I love these graceful birds in their somewhat reptilian throwback selves. The poem and images brought tears to my eyes, Cindy.
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Your tears are why we resonate with/recognize each other. Aren’t we lucky to have met ❤
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Beautiful birds – beautiful words. ❤
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Thank you, beautiful friend ❤
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❤
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It looks both of them – hipo and heron, feel comfortable 🙂.
Thank you for introducing this interesting poem.
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Thank you for your thoughtful comments.
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Magnificent images paired with a wonderful poem. Fabulous post, Cindy. 🙂 Birds are amazing!
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Thank you Jane. Birds are so lucky. They can fly away from us!
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Great photos and variety. 🙂
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Thank you very much for letting me know you like this & cheers to you.
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How surprising to me that your title was “Memories of Mary,” when I wrote today about my sister Mary and her recommendation of John Osteen’s preaching. I almost felt a little off kilter. How I love your photography! I’m glad you found my site, so I could find yours.
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It sounds like synchronicity, a coincidence that maybe isn’t. It am happy to find you too, her in blogdom, where I meet the nicest people ever. ❤
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Also, I never heard of Mary Oliver, but what a beautiful poem that went so well with your wildlife photography. Thanks for sharing the beauty of our world.
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Thank you more for your thoughtfulness and for appreciating the beauty and Mary Oliver’s beautiful and powerful words. ❤
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Beautiful. xxx
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Grazie mille ❤
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Cindy, thank you for this wonderful and stunning combination of photography and poetry!
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You are such a special friend Charles. Thank you!
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Reblogged this on charles french words reading and writing and commented:
Here is a stunning combination of photography and poetry from Cindy Knoke!
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Happy 4th to you and yours Charles & sincere thank you for your thoughtfulness.
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Hello Cindy!
I know I already commented on this post, although I’m not sure from which blog; Art Gowns or GLAM. Anyway, I had about 10 days of my comments going into SPAM folders. First it was one, then 2, then everyone’s. Akismet wasn’t sure why, but they did something and said I should be fine going ahead, however what is in SPAM will stay there unless the blog host approves the comment.
You might find me in your SPAM folder. LOL! Anyway, yesterday was okay for commenting, so let’s hope this comment works. Sheesh!
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This happened to me once, because I commented on too many posts which made me look like spam. No good deed goes unpunished! I will despam you ❤
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yeesh!
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YAY!! It worked!
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❤ ❤
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Gorgeous images and a lovely tribute to my all-time favorite Poet. Sitting on my desk is her book Why I wake Early which I read all the time.
This post captures her spirit I think.
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Isn’t she wonderful! A friend of Mary is a friend of mine. No wonder we understand each other ❤
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Cindy, how did you survive the earthquake?
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There has been a cluster of quakes and two big ones. We are fine, thank you Alexander, waiting to see if a bigger one is on the way.
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Good to know. However it’s not ended. Be careful!
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they are too fast and so quick to follow
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A beautiful, heronly tribute.
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❤ your adjective! ❤
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Beautiful pictures with graceful herons and topped with amazing words. You made it all go perfectly together!
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I am very happy you enjoyed and thank you for taking the time to tell me ❤
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Wow, Cindy. You’ve truly outdone yourself with this post. It is a gift, so thank you. Your prose is even more beautiful than your photos… if that’s possible. I love herons anyway. Hugs on the wings.
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You are an awesome friend Teagan. Hugs back to you ❤
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Thank you for this wonderful combination of poem and pictures. ❤
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Beautiful, yet sad somehow. Lovely poetic verse too. They are such graceful creatures.
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Yes, joyfully melancholic, a beautiful ambivalence.
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