This is Episode 124 of Poems for the Speed of Life.

Today's poem is "Wildflowers", by Mark Roper.

Mark Roper is an Irish poet whose work often touches on the vitality of nature, and the connection between the lives we live and the world around us, the world we live them in.

There’s a line in the first part of this poem that gets close to the heart of things. How teaching can take place without words. How love is more and less than knowledge.

It’s a love poem set against the backdrop of connection with nature and also the diminishment of a loved one, who is on the journey to return to that place of nothingness, of everything-ness, from where all of us came and to where all of us will one day return.

This poem was published in the Irish journey The Stinging Fly in 2006.

⁠You can read the poem here.

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For a detailed outline of the mission and purpose behind this podcast, please check out Episode 100, "Why Poems for the Speed of Life?", in your podcast player or ⁠⁠⁠click here to listen on Spotify⁠⁠⁠.

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Music Credit:

Once Upon a Time by Alex-Productions | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://onsound.eu/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  | Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com

Mark Roper is an Irish poet whose work often touches on the vitality of nature, and the connection between the lives we live and the world around us, the world we live them in.

There’s a line in the first part of this poem that gets close to the heart of things. How teaching can take place without words. How love is more and less than knowledge.

It’s a love poem set against the backdrop of connection with nature and also the diminishment of the loved one, who is on the journey to returning to that place of nothingness, of everything-ness, from where all of us came and to where all of us will one day return.

This poem was published in the Irish journey The Stinging Fly in 2006.

https://stingingfly.org/2006/02/01/wildflowers/