This summer I’m rereading Mary Oliver’s Devotions. Today I read a few poems originally published in her Owls and Other Fantasies collection. One poem, “The Dipper,” reminded me of an experience I had last week while starting my shift at Longwood Gardens. Before greeting guests at the Birdhouse Treehouse, I paused to hear the song of a wren rising urgently above the noisy cicadas. I wrote a short snippet in my notebook and returned to it today, inspired by Mary Oliver’s poem.
Excerpt from Mary Oliver’s “The Dipper”
Once I saw
in a quick-falling, white-veined stream,
among the leafed islands of the wet rocks,
a small bird, and knew it
from the pages of a book; it was
the dipper, and dipping he was,
as well as, sometimes, on a rock-peak, starting up
the clear, strong pipe of his voice; at this,
…
Photo from Pixabay.
Pausing to Listen
(after Mary Oliver)
Once,
in the quiet noise of the forest,
I heard a wren’s song
lift above the ebb and flow
of cicada chatter.
He would not give in
to insects
trying to usurp his job
of waking the world.
I listened to his song,
felt the urgency
of the message,
although I could not understand
the words.
I think of that wren now
in the quiet noise
of backyard birds and insects
that disturbs my reverie.
I pause to listen,
hoping to understand.
Draft, 2024RoseCappelli
Marcie has the roundup today here on her blog. Be sure to stop by to learn about her plans for the Sealy Challenge and lots more poetry goodness.
As always, thanks for reading.
Imagine the Possibilities 
I love that you played with the Mary Oliver scaffolding and infused your own listening to the backyard birds. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to understand their chatter!
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Thanks, Patricia!
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Rose, what lovely summer inspiration to read Devotions. I love the competition in your poem between the wren and the cicadas. At least from the wren’s perspective. It makes me love that little bird, its urgent song, and not wanting to be outsung. Beautiful post.
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Thanks, Denise!
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That’s really lovely. The goldfinches and the hummingbirds are fighting the grasshopper over whose job it is to wake the morning, and the sound is a gift before the heat of the day.
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Thanks!
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Ooh, I love the wren just singing along, waking the world, trying to drown out the noise of those cicadas. Just keep on singing. It’s all we can do.
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I agree! Keep on singing. Thanks, Laura.
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What a great post! I love listening to the birds, though I struggle to identify them by their songs. Last week I was walking with my sisters, heard some bird song, and was pretty sure it was a Carolina wren. Merlin confirmed this for me and I felt quite accomplished. Of course, I’m not nearly as accomplished as the bird that can sing such a lovely tune! lol Thanks for sharing Mary Oliver’s poem and your lovely poem as well. Pausing is so important, isn’t it? May your days be filled with bird song (identified or not!).
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Thanks, Molly! I love the Merlin app! I’ve learned so much from it.
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I’m always so fascinated by how those cicadas can usurp the noise of the birds in the summer. Love that you captured that.
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Thanks, Marcie.
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Lovely Rose, wouldn’t it be marvelous to know their language, we can imagine, thanks!
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Thanks, Michelle.
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Mary Oliver is a wonderful mentor when it comes to capturing a moment in nature. I love how you connected the wren calling to the sounds of cicadas. There is an urgency in that sound.
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Thanks, Margaret.
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I love your wren-version of the Mary Oliver poem! So relatable, as often a wren will sit on the fence right outside the kitchen window and sing to me in the morning while I write!
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Thanks, Mary Lee.
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