This is a well-known poem, but such a beautiful one! Pay close attention to the last two lines.
A Blessing
by James Wright
Just off the highway to Rochester, Minnesota,
Twilight bounds softly forth on the grass.
And the eyes of those two Indian ponies
Darken with kindness.
They have come gladly out of the willows
To welcome my friend and me.
We step over the barbed wire into the pasture
Where they have been grazing all day, alone.
They ripple tensely, they can hardly contain their happiness
That we have come.
They bow shyly as wet swans. They love each other.
There is no loneliness like theirs.
At home once more,
They begin munching the young tufts of spring in the darkness.
I would like to hold the slenderer one in my arms,
For she has walked over to me
And nuzzled my left hand.
She is black and white,
Her mane falls wild on her forehead,
And the light breeze moves me to caress her long ear
That is delicate as the skin over a girl’s wrist.
Suddenly I realize
That if I stepped out of my body I would break
Into blossom.
Today’s Poetry Roundup is at My Juicy Little Universe.
Hi, Karissa–
I really love this poem (which was not well-known to me, especially those last two lines, which suggest not the possibility of stepping out of one’s body, but the ability to do so.
Thanks for stopping by mjlu today!
Those lines are so beautifully haunting, aren’t they? Thanks for reading!
Welcome, Karissa, to Poetry Friday.
The poem is a beautiful reminder of the blessings we can find around us in nature.
Thanks! I checked out your blog and will come back to it often. Gotta love another poetry-lover!
Karissa, what a beautiful poem. Certain animals have a way of eliciting wonder from us. I love “They bow shyly as wet swans.”
Thanks, and you are right. Animals can do that! If you’d like to read more poems like that, check out Mary Oliver.
I love the capturing of a piece of time, and making it so much more-lovely lines to read and re-read.
Yes, this is a beautiful one to read silently, then to read out loud!
Nice to have that nuzzling at this chilly time of year. — I found your blog through Poetry Friday.
Thanks! I checked out your site and love that you write science and history stuff for children!!! I will come back to your site often – I want to write YA literature.
One of the loveliest poems ever!
I completely agree! Thanks for reading.
Hi, I couldn’t help but sigh as I read several lines that made my heart still:
“They begin munching the young tufts of spring in the darkness”
and of course the last three lines as you have noted:
“Suddenly I realize
That if I stepped out of my body I would break
Into blossom.”
— I love bursting into fruit-flavored juices. Thank you for sharing this blessing to us all. 🙂
I’m thinking of the horses in Patrick Ness’ Monsters of Men series, especially in the last book. That strong human/animal connection and the pure happiness they have and we crave…
Thanks for a great poem to start my day with!