Memories of Mary~

On By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, Wild Life

(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.


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219 thoughts on “Memories of Mary~”

  6. One of my abiding memories of travelling through New England is the sheer numbers of herons we saw – thank you, Cindy, for these fabulous photos and a nudge to my reflections on a great trip 🙂

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    1. I know. It is incredible. And everything they do is in such slow motion which seems to defy the laws of everything. especially lift off. Love to you Maiko.

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  25. These photos are just gorgeous, a perfect pairing with Mary’s poem. She’s one of my favorites. Thank you, Cindy, for this gift of beauty today! ♥.

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  34. A beautiful series of the various herons! Love the heron standing on the hippopotamus; I have a photo of a great blue marching over the backs of turtles as it stalked fish.

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  39. I agree with John RH! You are a master photographer. The poetry of this struck a nerve. Somewhere in there is the phrase “see how the clasp of nothing” said these creatures fly no matter how large they are because they don’t have to haul their world with them. They don’t move from space to space with truckloads of stuff. I think it would be lovely to be that free to fly and fly that free. Thanks for this.

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    1. Yes, the poem strikes such a chord with me too. “see how the clasp of nothing
      takes her in.” <3
      It speaks to me of how the unseen and mysterious can have great power. Mary was just brilliant.

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    1. I took a series of photos at Sunset Dam in Kruger National Park of herons surfing on the back of hippos, and landing and taking off of them too. The hippos didn’t mind at all. It was hilarious!

      Reply

  50. This poem could only have come from Mary Oliver! Such lovely photos to illustrate it, Cindy. I especially am mesmerized by these birds’ eyes and feathers!

    Reply

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