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  • The Journey

    a poem by Mary Oliver

    One day you finally knew

    what you had to do, and began

    through the voices around you 

    kept shouting their bad advice–

    through the whole house

    began to tremble

    and you felt the old tug

    at your ankles.

    “Mend my life!”

    each voice cried.

    But you didn’t stop. 

    You knew what you had to do,

    though the wind pried

    with its stiff fingers

    at the very foundations,

    though their melancholy

    was terrible.

    It was already too late

    enough, and a wild nigh,

    and the road full of fallen

    branches and stones.

    But little by little,

    as you left their voices behind

    the stars began to burn

    through the sheets of clouds,

    and there was a new voice

    which you slowly 

    recognised as your own,

    that kept you company

    as you strode deeper and deeper

    into the world,

    determined to do

    the only thing you could do —

    determined to save

    the only life you could save.


    This poem was chosen by Clinical Lead, Judy Crawley at Birmingham Counselling Services.

    Find more on Mary Oliver and her work at maryoliver.beacon.org

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