When Death Comes

“Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver (1986)

This lyric poem appeared first in the collection Dream Work. In this poem, the speaker assures the reader that they are worthy and only have “to let the soft animal of your body / love what it loves” (Lines 4-5). Again, nature is a salve, and like the images of renewal in “When Death Comes,” the world in “Wild Geese” is described as one that “goes on” (Line 7). Images of community and wonder are also present as the speaker notes “whoever you are, no matter how lonely, / the world offers itself to your imagination” (Lines 14-15). The world, like the natural elements in “When Death Comes,” calls like the geese “announcing your place / in the family of things” (Lines 17-18). The link here also includes an audio clip of Oliver reading “Wild Geese.”

“The Journey” by Mary Oliver (1986)

This poem first appeared in Dream Work but was reprinted on Oprah Winfrey’s O Magazine website in conjunction with Maria Shriver’s 2011 interview with Oliver. This poem, like “When Death Comes,” deals with making a choice between living in an old way versus making a new way.