Mary Oliver

All afternoon it rained, then
such power came down from the clouds
on a yellow thread,
as authoritative as God is supposed to be.
When it hit the tree, her body
opened forever.

So begins "Rain," a poem by Mary Oliver, which is a poem that reminded me of how painful, yet essential and needed, transformation is in life...my life. The snake at the end of the poem is a symbol of us, of humanity...the snake who knows "life has no purpose / and is neither civil nor intelligent," but regardless, the snake survives, carries on, and seeks transformation:

Where life has no purpose,
and is neither civil nor intelligent,
it begins
to rain,
it begins
to smell like the bodies
of flowers.
At the back of the neck
the old skin splits.
The snake shivers
but does not hesitate.
He inches forward.
He bleeds through
like satin.

This is the perfect season for this poem. Spring is coming and I can feel the old skin itching...it is time to reflect on my life and consider changes, ways to be more honest with myself...and as Mary Oliver makes it clear in her poem, this endeavor hurts, but is necessary and transformative.