<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">Wild Geese</span><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">You do not have to be good.</span><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">You do not have to walk on your knees</span><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.</span><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">You only have to let the soft animal of your body</span><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">love what it loves.</span><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">Tell me about your despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.</span><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">Meanwhile the world goes on.</span><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain</span><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">are moving across the landscapes,</span><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">over the prairies and the deep trees,</span><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">the mountains and the rivers.</span><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,</span><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">are heading home again.</span><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,</span><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">the world offers itself to your imagination,</span><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting --</span><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">over and over announcing your place</span><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">in the family of things.</span><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Mary Oliver</span></body></html>