Seamus Reads

The question we’re all dying to know. Or maybe it’s just me.

“Too terrible it would be, to be wrong.”

Please enjoy “Do Stones Feel?” from Blue Horses.

For the love of dogs. This poem talks about death.

May “Her Grave” keep you company. From Devotions.

A poem about cycles, about the fullness of summer and the ache of the end in the height of ripeness.

Please enjoy “The Orchard” from Mary Oliver’s Devotions.

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican victory over the French forces of Napoleon III at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. This battle was significant as it thwarted Napoleon III's attempt to establish an empire in Mexico and provided a morale boost to the Mexican forces, even though a larger French force ultimately defeated the Mexican army later that year.

The holiday gained popularity in the United States during the Chicano Movement of the 1960s and 1970s, where it became a symbol of resistance against foreign invasion and a way to link the struggle of the Chicano movement to Mexican heritage.

By the 1980s, commercialization by companies, particularly beer companies and restaurants, further popularized the holiday in the U.S.

In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is more widely celebrated in the state of Puebla and the neighboring State of Veracruz, where it is marked with historical reenactments, parades, and meals to commemorate the battle. However, it is not a federal holiday in Mexico, unlike Mexican Independence Day, which is celebrated on September 16.

Spring is well under way and this poem brings us right into the precariousness of caring for new, tender life.

Please enjoy “To Shiva” from Mary Oliver’s 2014 collection of poems, Blue Horses.

Welcome to another Monday and another le printemps-themed Mary Oliver poem. I hope you enjoyed some rest last week and have had a moment to get curious about buds, blooms, and the rummaging of birds making nests.

Please enjoy “One or Two Things” originally found in Dream Work (1986) and read here from Devotions (2017).

Mary Oliver touches life, death, and the “cycle of time” intimately here in her poem “No Voyage”. Please enjoy.

from Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver

I am a quiet type – pensive, introverted, “artsy.” When Hannah Gadsby, in the comedy special Nanette (2018), said “My favorite sound in the whole world is the sound of a teacup finding its place on a saucer.” I felt that. So I don’t usually do public displays (although I do love to perform, under the right circumstances), even for things like TDoV. But, this year, I am sharing these poems as a display of resilience, of trans humanity, and of the simple joy of being alive.

Please enjoy. Here are the timestamps for quick reference:

* 00:00 - 05:35: Preamble

* 05:35 - 07:22: ”On Not Mowing the Lawn”

* 07:46 - 09:21: ”Wild Geese”

Since I missed last week’s reading, please enjoy these two poems, “North Country” and “Rain,” both by Mary Oliver.

This video is long so I am including the timestamps for each poem below:

* North Country – (01:18 - 2:50)

* Rain – (04:31 - 10:45) *

*Please note that this poem is both long (in seven parts!) and that section three contains dark content.

Both poems reflect the many facets of transformation, and “North Country” is a celebration of the return of Spring. May the return of spring bring you a kind of celebration in your hearts.

Welcome to Monday,Seamus

From Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver, p. 285.

Good morning and happy Wednesday to you all.

I apologize for not uploading my usual Monday Mary Oliver poem to the podcast. Please enjoy this video recording of “Morning Poem” from Mary Oliver’s collection, Devotions.