MARY OLIVER IN ALL CAPS

Only for an instant I felt the towering presence of MARY OLIVER IN ALL CAPS. Thinking about the life she led. Being in nature. Being herself. Observing. Honoring. Lifting up the smallest creatures. Making sure to convey their magnificence. That felt like too much in comparison to the things that I write about. The life I lead.

But! Remember this feeling lasted only for an instant. It was immediately replaced by the hard earned knowledge that I AM AS MAGNIFICENT. I AM HERE. I MATTER in ALL CAPS!

I write with an image of a smiling Elizabeth Ericskon looking at me. She is holding up a print of Hildegard enrobed in light and I am so grateful that I knew her, was taught by her, counseled by her, brought into community by her. I have met amazing women because of her.

I hope that my life as an artist continues to pay tribute to her life as an artist. And I hope to be an observer and recorder in the careful ways of Mary Oliver.