Poetry Readings

Above + Beyond Cancer, and our Founder believes poetry and literature can promote healing and growth. Dr. Richard Deming shares one of his favorite poems by John O'Donohue, "For a New Beginning." John was an Irish poet, author, priest, and Hegelian philosopher. This poem encourages us to cultivate courage.

“The Fourth Sign of the Zodiac” is a four-part poem that shares the grayness of grieving and loss. And yet, change is coupled with a hopefulness. The poem invites us to make the most of each day.

'Wild Geese' is a poem, written by Mary Oliver, that expresses what one must do in order to lead a good life. The speaker, presumably Oliver, is talking directly to her reader, imploring them to not worry so much about being good; rather, the reader should be true to nature and the beauty found in it.

The wild geese in the poem symbolize exuberant freedom, especially freedom from the struggles and burdens of everyday life. This kind of freedom, the poem implies, can come from recognizing the beauty of nature.

Mary Oliver, a lover of nature, reminds us in her poem that being present and quiet in nature, observing its beauty, will nurture gratitude and light with in us.

"The Swan" may honor a loved one who has passed by encouraging us to release our earthly suffering into the peace of an afterlife.

"By asking how “you” will spend “your one wild and precious life,” the poem ultimately implies that it's up to individuals to fill their own lives with meaning. While that meaning may come from appreciating nature, the poem leaves open many other possibilities. Above all, “The Summer Day” challenges people to live with passionate purpose—whatever that purpose may be." - litcharts

Mary Oliver's poem "The Journey" encourages strength and determination after experiencing dark spaces.

Mary Oliver teaches us in “Black Water Woods” to ‘love what is mortal, and to let it go.’

Mary Oliver is a poet that is often shared by Richard Deming. Her poems invite mindfulness. The poem, "I Happen To Be Standing" expresses the authors thoughts about prayer. "Mary Oliver has said that when she talks about prayer she’s thinking of that oft-quoted line of Rumi’s: 'There are a hundred ways to kneel and kiss the ground.' " - Mariah Helgeson

Mary Oliver, is a poet and inspiration to the Above + Beyond Cancer team. She died from cancer, and her words continue to encourage us to cultivate mindfulness and be with nature. Enjoy this reading by Dr. Richard Deming and may mindfulness be part of your days, your hours, your minutes…