My Mary Oliver Poems #4 - “Starlings in Winter”

“And you watch

And you try

But you simply can’t imagine


How they do it

With no articulated instruction, no pause,

Only the silent confirmation

That they are this notable thing,


This wheel of many parts, that can rise and spin

Over and over again,

Full of gorgeous life.

Ah, world, what lessons you prepare for us.”


“Starlings in the Winter” caught my attention because, interestingly, earlier in the semester, we connected starlings and starling murmurations to classical economic theory in my History of Economic Thought class. Throughout the semester, we’ve been discussing Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations and Theory of Moral Sentiments – unpacking Smith’s arguments about specialization and trade, sympathy and interconnectedness; diving into his investigation into the architecture of the “all-wise Author of Nature” and contending with his observations about our judgment of self, our sense of duty, our love of praise, and our dread of blame. So, as I walked through Mary Oliver’s Devotions, it was interesting to view the awe-inspiring and mysterious starling murmurations through her appreciative eyes. In particular, I appreciated her frankness about not understanding why the starlings flock together and fly in such a cohesive yet uncoordinated way. It makes me, too, think about how they send signals to one another to know which way to move next; and it makes me stop and think with greater appreciation about the challenging lessons readily available in the natural world around us.

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