Felicity Quotes

“Things! Burn them, burn them! Make a beautiful fire! More room in your heart for love, for the trees! For the birds who own nothing—the reason they can fly.”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity: Poems

“There are moments that cry out to be fulfilled. Like, telling someone you love them. Or giving your money away, all of it. Your heart is beating, isn’t it? You’re not in chains, are you? There is nothing more pathetic than caution when headlong might save a life, even, possibly, your own.”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity: Poems

“The Pond"

August of another summer, and once again
I am drinking the sun
and the lilies again are spread across the water.
I know now what they want is to touch each other.
I have not been here for many years
during which time I kept living my life.
Like the heron, who can only croak, who wishes he
could sing,
I wish I could sing.
A little thanks from every throat would be appropriate.
This is how it has been, and this is how it is:
All my life I have been able to feel happiness,
except whatever was not happiness,
which I also remember.
Each of us wears a shadow.
But just now it is summer again
and I am watching the lilies bow to each other,
then slide on the wind and the tug of desire,
close, close to one another,
Soon now, I'll turn and start for home.
And who knows, maybe I'll be singing.”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity

“Everything that was broken has
forgotten its brokenness. I live
now in a sky-house, through every
window the sun. Also your presence.
Our touching, our stories. Earthy
and holy both. How can this be, but
it is. Every day has something in
it whose name is Forever.”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity

“There are moments that cry out to be fulfilled.
Like, telling someone you love them.
Or giving your money away, all of it.

Your heart is beating, isn't it?
You're not in chains, are you?

There is nothing more pathetic than caution
when headlong might save a life,
even, possibly, your own.”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity

“Not anyone who says "I'm going to be
careful and smart in the matters of love,"
who says, "I'm going to choose slowly,"
but only those lovers who didn't choose at all
but were, as it were, chosen
by something invisible
and powerful and uncontrollable
and beautiful and possibly even
unsuitable--
only those know what I'm talking about
in this talking about love.”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity: Poems

“Where has this cold come from?
“It comes from the death of your friend.”

Will I always, from now on, be this cold?
“No, it will diminish. But always it will be with you.”

What is the reason for it?
“Wasn’t your friendship always as beautiful as a flame?”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity

“There is nothing more pathetic than caution when headlong might save a life, even, possibly, your own.”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity: Poems

“No, I'd never been to this country
before. No, I didn't know where the roads
would lead me. No, I didn't intend to
turn back.”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity

“I did think, let's go about this slowly.
This is important. This should take some really deep thought. We should take small thoughtful steps.
But, bless us, we didn't.”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity

“If you’re John Muir you want trees to
live among. If you’re Emily, a garden
will do.
Try to find the right place for yourself.
If you can’t find it, at least dream of it.

When one is alone and lonely, the body
gladly lingers in the wind or the rain,
or splashes into the cold river, or
pushes through the ice-crusted snow.

Anything that touches.

God, or the gods, are invisible, quite
understandable. But holiness is visible,
entirely.”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity

“I don’t want to lose a single thread
from the intricate brocade of this happiness
.I want to remember everything.”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity

“So, be slow if you must, but let
the heart still play its true part.
Love still as once you loved, deeply
and without patience. Let God and the world
know you are grateful.That the gift has been given.”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity

“Poems arrive ready to begin.
Poets are only the transportation.”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity

“All important ideas must include the trees, the mountains, and the rivers. • To understand many things you must reach out of your own condition.”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity: Poems

“How do I love you?
Oh, this way and that way.
Oh, happily. Perhaps
I may elaborate by

demonstration? Like
this, and
like this and

no more words now”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity

“That Little Beast

That pretty little beast, a poem,
has a mind of its own.
Sometimes I want it to crave apples
but it wants red meat.
Sometimes I want to walk peacefully
on the shore
and it wants to take off all its clothes
and dive in.

Sometimes I want to use small words
and make them important
and it starts shouting the dictionary,
the opportunities.

Sometimes I want to sum up and give thanks,
putting things in order
and it starts dancing around the room
on its four furry legs, laughing
and calling me outrageous.

But sometimes, when I'm thinking about you,
and no doubt smiling,
it sits down quietly, one paw under its chin,
and just listens.”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity

“The Gift

Be still, my soul, and steadfast.
Earth and heaven both are still watching
though time is draining from the clock
and your walk, that was confident and quick,
has become slow.

So, be slow if you must, but let
the heart still play its true part.
love still as once you loved, deeply
and without patience. Let God and the world
know you are grateful.
That the gift has been given.”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity

“I know someone who kisses the way
a flower opens, but more rapidly.
Flowers are sweet. They have
short, beatific lives. They offer
much pleasure. There is
nothing in the world that can be said
against them.
Sad, isn't it, that all they can kiss
is the air.

Yes, yes! We are the lucky ones.”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity

“A Voice from I Don’t Know Where”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity: Poems

“Try to find the right place for yourself. If you can't find it, at least dream of it.”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity

“What is your heart doing now? "Remembering. Remembering!”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity

“God, or the gods, are invisible, quite understandable. But holiness is visible, entirely.”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity

“Leaves and Blossoms Along the Way,”

If you’re John Muir you want trees to
live among. If you’re Emily, a garden
will do.
Try to find the right place for yourself.
If you can’t find it, at least dream of it.

•

When one is alone and lonely, the body
gladly lingers in the wind or the rain,
or splashes into the cold river, or
pushes through the ice-crusted snow.
Anything that touches.

•

God, or the gods, are invisible, quite
understandable. But holiness is visible,
entirely.

•

Some words will never leave God’s mouth,
no matter how hard you listen.

•

In all the works of Beethoven, you will
not find a single lie.

•

All important ideas must include the trees,
the mountains, and the rivers.

•

To understand many things you must reach out
of your own condition.

•

For how many years did I wander slowly
through the forest. What wonder and
glory I would have missed had I ever been
in a hurry!

•

Beauty can both shout and whisper, and still
it explains nothing.

•

The point is, you’re you, and that’s for keeps.”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity

“Things take the time they take. Don't worry.”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity

“Late, late, but now lovely and lovelier.
And the two of us, together—a part of it.”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity

“This is not just
surprise and
pleasure.
This is not just
beauty
sometimes
too hot to
touch.
This is not a
blessing with a
beginning
and an end.
This is not just a
wild summer.
This is not
conditional.”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity

“No, I’d never been to this country before. No, I didn’t know where the roads would lead me. No, I didn’t intend to turn back.”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity: Poems

“I’ll just tell you this:
only if there are
angels in your
head will you
ever, possibly, see one.”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity

“The point is, you’re you, and that’s for keeps.”
― Mary Oliver, Felicity: Poems