One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
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.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
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,
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.
The Journey – Mary Oliver from Dream Work in “New and Selected Poems’, Beacon Press, Boston, 1992.

One of the most wonderful gifts given to me during the Pandemic was the time to read and fall in love with poetry. The first poet I read was the late Mary Oliver and her work has been a wonderful experience that I draw on both personally and professionally. As we celebrate International Women’ day this month, I would like to share a poem by Mary Oliver to inspire us – The Journey.
This is a poem that makes me think about courage, determination as well as self-discovery and self-awareness. In our life we will all experience so many challenges and will look for clarity to understand how to move forward. For me, when this happens, it is a time of learning, to be calm and patient, the answers will come to support me, to find my way towards purpose and fulfilment.
Ms. Oliver draws on the natural world to inspire and motivate, which resonates with me because it stirs emotions and insights that are invaluable. More so when you are trying to create your own pathway, what is required, is for you to discover your inner strength when you are finding resistance from yourself, or others, or when things feel overwhelming or uncertain.
In particular, I love to be reflective, and this poem allows me to do so, by going deeper in the thoughts of what is my pathway in my journey, in life? It is important to remember that we can make choices, create opportunities, and see possibilities. If we do limit ourselves or look back at past experiences with regret, then this can be a block to finding our true pathway. Every time we do something in our journey good or bad, we are learning, we are growing and in doing so we must trust ourselves, and the process, rather than focusing on the outcome. A step at a time and creating belief in yourself to continue, enjoying each step, will be the best part of the journey, not reaching the destination!
For me these line in the Journey are so poignant.
‘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’….
This is a powerful statement and reminds us that we will gain clarity of what our pathway and purpose is. You have an inner strength that is courageous, that will support you from external noises such as distractions, validations, opinions, or influences. If you can trust yourself, be able to see what matters to you, what is true for you. Then you can travel your journey with new (self) awareness, acceptance and know when to let go, so that you can find your own path in your journey. Along the way your strength, determination and finding your own voice will be your best travel companions.
I would love to hear from you, regarding your thoughts on this poem, your experiences in making your pathway, or if you would like to start creating your pathway and are not sure where to begin, then please do contact me.
evelyn@evelynhoggart.co.uk
March 2024
Poem: The Journey – Mary Oliver from Dream Work in “New and Selected Poems’, Beacon Press, Boston, 1992.