The Journey

Next up, a fabulous poem by Mary Oliver about finding yourself, your own voice, your own song, in spite of all of the well-meaning advice from those around you, who might wish to keep you small "for your own good" and for their comfort, (even if they don't even realize it.) It's a journey you choose to embark upon because you simply have to. Because you'll never know who you really are and what you can do until you make this journey.

The Journey

by Mary Oliver

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice—
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.

But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.

But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do—
determined to save
the only life you could save.