Wild Geese

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting-
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

- Wild Geese by Mary Olivar

When I get caught up in my life in the day-to-day, I love reading this poem to readjust my focus on just how magnificently large our world is and to let go of frantic energy that impedes me from remembering that I too am a part of nature.

As many of you already know, in just a week I will embark on a year-long culinary apprenticeship in Japan. There have been many loose ends to tie up and items to check off my to-do list, so I've been intentionally setting aside to do things like read poems like this one.

Amidst my preparations for departure, I am also excitedly building an even greater web presence so that I can keep in touch and share my experiences with you. Be The Oak will become my travel journal where I will post frequently about all sorts of experiences, not just things culinary. My new professional website, www.rhymeandseason.com is where I'll direct you for recipes and culinary resources.

More good things to come!