Yesterday was a Mary Oliver day for those of us who emulate her by regularly going on solitary walks in the woods. She liked solitary walks in the sense that she preferred not to be with another person in the woods.
However, judging from my understanding of her poetry, it wasn’t solitude (In the sense of wanting to be alone) that she felt in the woods, and it certainly wasn’t loneliness. She appeared to be well aware that the woods are crowded with lives that imbue a unified spirit that can be enjoyed best with heightened awareness and patience. (Image taken in Brooklin, Maine, on August 16, 2023.)