At Blackwater Pond: Mary Oliver reads Mary Oliver

A beautifully bound cd of a beautiful, flawless recording of Mary's work.

I love this CD from Mary Oliver - she has a very soothing and rich voice. She has a way of sharing her wisdom that sinks into your entire being. A cup of good tea and looking out the window seeing the rain fall, and hearing this is a wonderful gift to yourself.

These poems are so moving. My partner also enjoyed these poems on her last days of life.Thanks Mary it put a smile on her face. Her favorite was "Summer Day"

Poems are, as my English teacher once told me, meant to be read aloud. I never feel as if I know a poem, as if it has been allowed to reach the deepest parts of my soul, until I have either read it out loud myself or heard it read. Mary Oliver is my favorite modern poet, bar none. I was so thrilled to find this CD (apart from the fact that I could not find anything anywhere to tell me what poems were on it before I bought it).I love it. To be honest, Ms. Oliver's voice took, for me, a little getting used to. There is nothing wrong with it, just not quite what I was expecting. Once I adjusted to it, I found myself enjoying her readings very much. What I find a little irritating (hence the four instead of five star rating) is the fair audio quality. Occasionally, you can hear pages turning and little throat sounds that, while human, ought not to be on a CD of this day and age. Still, I would suggest getting this with all my heart; hearing the poems, for me, added another dimenison to Ms. Oliver's incredible work. Since I found it fustrating that I couldn't find a list of tracks, I assume others will. So, here are the poems you will find on this CD:Some HeronsWild GeeseBeansThe SwanBoneHermit CrabGoldenrodI Looked UpThe Buddha's Last InstructionThe KingfisherBearSome Things, Say the Wise OnesHer GraveMindfulLonely, White FieldsWhere Does the Temple BeginGoldfinchesSong of the BuildersPeoniesFive A.M. in the PinewoodsThe Summer DayThe SunThe Snow CricketWhelksHumWhite FlowersRiceLittle Owl Who Lives in the OrchardMaybeWhen Death ComesLingering in HappinessThe PondsRoses, Late SummerThe NotebookDaisiesThe LilyKookaburrasMarengoWhite Owl Flies Into and Out of the FieldAt Blackwater Pond

Mary Oliver is certainly one of our finest contemporary poets. Her terse and sparse use of language in effect widens our horizons as we readers are able to expand our vision through her creative work. This CD has ample examples of her poetry, from several different volumes, and the listener can accompany the readings with personal copies of the published works. Oliver's ability to use the natural settings of her New England environment to state something profound about the human condition is one of her gifts. To see in the ordinary what is unforgettable, is another. Her language is visual, so that we see what she describes in new ways. This collection of poems, read by the poet, is a classic and one to be treasured and listened to over and over.