Anne Walsh Donnelly On Poetic Inspiration
On her final day as our Featured Artist, Anne Walsh Donnelly shares one of her poetic inspirations.
One of Anne’s favourite poets is Mary Oliver. She says, “I keep a book of Mary Oliver’s poems on my bedside locker. They are a great source of inspiration and have much wisdom to offer.”
Anne wrote the poem she shares with us today after reading Mary Oliver’s poem, Don’t Hesitate.
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| Photo by Nadya Spetnitskaya on Unsplash |
Anne says of her poem, “it’s about taking care of yourself. When I was recovering from depression, I finally realised the importance of looking after myself, taking time out for me to do what I love to do and what nourishes me. Writing is soul food for me. I am a better person because of it. That’s why it’s so important for me to sometimes be selfish, put myself first and carve out space in my day to do what sustains me. We all need to practice self-care, find what nourishes us and do it regularly.”
Self-love
After Mary Oliver
If you feel your heart leap
when you glimpse your face
in the kitchen window
admire the faint image that is you
feast on your beauty
don’t think of self-love
as a crumb you must blow
from your table
think of it as the yeast
that will develop your dough
think of how it will nourish you
to rise
again
again
and
again.
Very powerful poem!
Thanks ❤