Let me keep my distance, always, from those who think they have the answers. Let me keep company always with those who say “Look!” and laugh in astonishment, and bow their heads. (from “Mysteries, Yes”) Mary Oliver More Quotes by Mary Oliver More Quotes From Mary Oliver Animals praise a good day, a good hunt. They praise rain if they're thirsty. That's prayer. They don't live an unconscious life, they simply have no language to talk about these things. But they are grateful for the good things that come along. Mary Oliver day good rain life I'd rather write about polar bears than people. Mary Oliver than write about people I acknowledge my feeling and gratitude for life by praising the world and whoever made all these things. Mary Oliver feeling gratitude life world Sometimes breaking the rules is extending the rules. Mary Oliver breaking rules extending sometimes You can fool a lot of yourself but you can't fool the soul. Mary Oliver yourself you fool soul Believe me, if anybody has a job and starts at 9, there's no reason why they can't get up at 4:30 or five and write for a couple of hours, and give their employers their second-best effort of the day - which is what I did. Mary Oliver day me effort believe If I have any lasting worth, it will be because I have tried to make people remember what the Earth is meant to look like. Mary Oliver look earth remember people The woods that I loved as a child are entirely gone. The woods that I loved as a young adult are gone. The woods that most recently I walked in are not gone, but they're full of bicycle trails. Mary Oliver loved child bicycle woods Wasn't it Emerson who said, 'My life is for itself and not for a spectacle'? I have a happy, full, good life because I hold it private. Mary Oliver my-life good happy life I grew up in a confused house: too much unwanted attention or none at all. Mary Oliver confused too-much house attention