.joy is not made to be a crumb.

Don't Hesitate
Mary Oliver, Devotions

If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed. Still life has some possibility left. Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes something happened better than all the riches or power in the world. It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.

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I started reading Devotions this morning. Mary Oliver lived much of her adult life on Cape Cod in Provincetown, one of my most favorite places. I found Mary Oliver's poetry before I knew the Cape although, I think my love for the Cape only amplified my appreciation of Mary's poems. Many are inspired by her daily nature walks, capturing simple time moments of the day or nuance of a changing season. It can almost picture the dunes of Cape Cod or a sunset at Race Point Beach when I read her words. She had such a deep sense of belonging there, even when she left. 

Are there stories or poems that take you to other places? Where do you go?