“You do not have to be good.”

— Mary Oliver, 'Wild Geese', Dream Work (1986)

About Mary Oliver

1935 – 2019

American poet and Pulitzer Prize winner (1984), known for her nature poetry, including 'The Summer Day'.

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

“You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.”

“I stood willingly and gladly in the characters of everything — other people, trees, clouds.”

“You are imperfect, you are wired for struggle, but you are also worthy of love and belonging.”

“No need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anybody but oneself.”

“You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody.”

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”

“Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it's having the courage to show up when you can't control the outcome.”

“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we'll ever do.”