Thursday, May 1, 2014

Dreamwork and Mary Oliver: Part II

Looking at the following photographs I had already taken before I had bought Dream Work and before I had the epiphany with the Buddha, it still feels to me as if Mary Oliver directed my photo shoot. (See part I of this blog.)


Dream work images taken around Mary Oliver's 
beloved Blackwater Pond combined with excerpts
 of her poems taken from her book Dream Work 
Gnome living under moss beside Blackwater Pond
CC Jean Stimmell: 4/28/14
Isn't it plain the sheets of moss, except that
they have no tongues, could lecture
all day if they wanted about
spiritual practice?⁠1  

Hundred-legged tree at Blackwater Pond
CC Jean Stimmell
Something screamed 
from the fringes of the swamp.
It was Banyon,
the old merchant.

It was the hundred-legged
tree, walking again⁠2.

Walking around Blackwater Pond
CC Jean Stimmell: 4/28/14
This dream is
About a small tree that becomes a huge tree
And wants to travel.

Listen, said the voice.
This is your dream.

I’m only stopping here for a little while.
Don’t be afraid.⁠3

1 Excerpt from Oliver's poem, Landscape, from her book Dream Work
2 The beginning of Mary Oliver's poem, Banyon, from her book Dream Work
3 The end of Mary Oliver's poem, Banyon, from her book Dream Work
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1 comment:

Suzi Smith said...

Thanks for the intro to Mary…..have been looking up, brilliant!! It's a while since i've had a wander around… so many great articles Jean, have lost track of time reading, heheh, it's been lovely to *see* you again :-)

May 1, 2014 at 5:48 PM

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