Mary Oliver's Thirst

Thirst
Originally uploaded by Peacebang.

Can you believe that I'm a Unitarian Universalist minister who loves the poetry of Mary Oliver?
Why, that's about as shocking as being a gay man who loves the music of Judy Garland or Barbra Streisand!!

I know, I know -- it's a cliche, but I discovered Mary Oliver before I even went to seminary courtesy of my dear friend, the poet Sophie Wadsworth. My first Oliver was American Primitive, and it's still one of my favorite favorites.

I was a bit sick at heart, then, when I found myself unmoved by Oliver's last two or three offerings. They seemed to me so derivative that it was as though they were penned not by Mary Oliver but by some cheap imitation of her.

Imagine my great delight and appreciation when I picked up Thirst and found myself brought to that still, deep, breathless place she first brought me in American Primitive.

This is a wonderful collection of 43 poems, many of which deal with the subject of death (Oliver recently lost her partner of over 40 years, Molly Malone Cook) and faith.

Eat it up. Yum, yum. Published by our own Beacon Press, so get your copy directly from them here http://www.beacon.org/index.cfm

By the way, did you know that JOHN WATERS (yes, *that* John Waters) was a close friend of Oliver and Malone Cook?