The Journey

Mary Oliver

I printed this poem and hung it on my studio wall when I returned to painting during the pandemic. It represented a return to my own life, listening to my own voice. One day I decided to depict the poem with images. It didn’t occur to me that so many would be rather dark and troubled, reflecting challenges on the journey. Of course. I started working with a few lines at a time, trying to convey the feeling in those lines.

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began, — One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began,

though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice- — though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice-

though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles,
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop. — though the whole house began to tremble and you felt the old tug at your ankles, "Mend my life!" each voice cried. But you didn't stop.

You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though the melancholy
was terrible. — You knew what you had to do, though the wind pried with its stiff fingers at the very foundations, though the melancholy was terrible.

It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones. — It was already late enough, and a wild night, and the road full of fallen branches and stones.

But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds, — But little by little, as you left their voices behind, the stars began to burn through the sheets of clouds,

and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world, — and there was a new voice which you slowly recognized as your own, that kept you company as you strode deeper and deeper into the world,

determined to do
the only thing you could do-
determined to save
the only life you could save. — determined to do the only thing you could do- determined to save the only life you could save.