DogfishI wanted The past to go away, I wanted To leave it, like another country; I wanted My life to close, and open Like a hinge, like a wing, like the part of the song Where it falls Down over the rocks: an explosion, a discovery; I wanted To hurry into the work of my life; I wanted to know, Whoever I was, I was Alive For a little while.…mostly, I want to be kind. And nobody, of course, is kind, Or mean, For a simple reason. And nobody gets out of it, having to Swim through the fires to stay in This world. Mary Oliver
About This Quote

The poet speaks of an old dog that has lived a long life. He wants the past to be gone, he wants it to disappear, but he also wants his life to be "like another country." He wants his life to end and then begin anew, like a hinge that opens up or a wing that spreads out. The poet is not afraid of trial or suffering, but is anxious for the moment when he can begin again. "Like a part of the opening song," he says, "where it falls down over the rocks." It's an explosion. The poet is determined to make the most of every moment in order that when his time comes to die, he will have had a full life.

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  1. Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift.
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