Wake Up.

So I realize these blog posts are gonna be pretty wishy washy out of order. Don't judge me.



Roethke's poem "The Waking" is one of my all time favorites. It is a poem that everyone can relate to because it's core is an observation of life. All good art is one that holds up a mirror to life for people to see. Things always look different in a mirror then we think they look in reality.

The image of the lowly worm climbing up a winding stair is very striking. It is the only part of the poem I don't have some sort of understanding of. Is he comparing the worm to man and the stair to life? Or is it rather just an observation of how sometimes worms seem to just go and go with no real destination? What does the worm represent?

When I read this poem, I get the impression that I am praying. "The Waking" leaves me with a spiritual connection that feels like meditation and reflection. The repetition of the poem feels ritualistic and reading it feels like it should be a part of my daily wake up rituals. If I ever find another poem or piece of art that makes me feel like this one does, I will be a happier girl. "The Waking" is, in the words of Zora Neale Hurston, "a glimpse from God."