Poems have so many interesting characteristics and that is the reason I love them. So, I wanted to share an awesome poem that could inspire everyone to follow their dreams and never give up!
The poem is "Wild Geese" by Mary Oliver:
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting-
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
The poem “Wild Geese” illustrates the theme that people should follow their dreams. The theme is conveyed through a metaphor between geese and humans. The poem starts out as a reminder to tell us that it is okay not to be perfect and whatever shame we might hold inside can be let go. Then it states, “Tell me about despair, yours and I will tell you mine." Everyone has their own despair and by telling it to other people; it heals them. The people who got healed can then hear about other people’s despair and heal their despair, which creates connections between them like the bonds between birds. So, we can listen to other people's despairs, heal them and let them heal others. The relationships we make through this will help in following our dreams.
The poem goes on saying, “Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air / are heading home again.” The repetition of the word “meanwhile” implies that the world is still moving on whether “you” are ready or not. Also the fact that the wild geese are heading “home” makes us question whether they are flying “home” south for the winter, or “home” back north. Because the geese are wild, they do not have one distinct home like us. However, they tend to return to it like us. It is nice that we have a "home" that we can return to at the end of the day. Having a nice "home" not just a house is really important for us in achieving our dreams. So, let's love and treat our family supporting us!
The poem ends saying that “the world offers itself to your imagination”. The world that “you” live in is a matter of your imagination which is “harsh and exciting” as if calling the wild geese back to home. The world is really your imagination! If you are negative and only imagine depressing thoughts, your world would be harsh on you. However, living every day positively and thankfully will make you world exciting - I have no doubt in that. By building relationships, connecting with others and returning to our cozy homes, we are able to live out this world and follow whatever dreams we might have.
