80. Apologies to Derek Mahon

Despite Nora’s taste in poetry, this poem submitted by a listener managed to thaw her heart and set the tone for a good day.

Transcripts may not appear in their final version and are subject to change.

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INTRO MUSIC 

 I’m Nora McInerny, and it’s going to be okay.

And today’s reminder is from a listener named Charlotte.

EMAIL SOUND

Charlotte emailed us in May…

I adore Terrible, Thanks for Asking and I also am enjoying it’s going to be okay. Thank you for filling my long commute to and from work with meaning and thoughtfulness each week. I am truly grateful.

Anyhow, I was sent this poem last year and it made me think of this podcast. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Warmly,

Charlotte, a terrible in Northampton, MA

The poem is called Everything Is Going To Be All Right. And at first I was like, ehhhh, I will not enjoy this poem because I specifically named this podcast it’s going to be okay, not EVERYTHING is going to be okay. Many of you listening are in the middle of something that is not okay, or survived something that will never be okay. You have been told it’s going to be all right and had everything be…not all right at all.

Being told it’s all going to be okay, or it’s all going to be alright can be one of those maddening platitudes that really just makes everything worse. And I looked at the title of this poem and thought, ughhhh Charlotte, why would you send this to me?

This poem is by Derek Mahon, and I owe him an apology for judging him on the title alone. And I owe Charlotte an apology for judging her taste.

How should I not be glad to contemplate 

the clouds clearing beyond the dormer window

and a high tide reflecting on the ceiling?

There will be dying, there will be dying,

but there is no need to go into that.

The lines flow from the hand unbidden

and the hidden source is the watchful heart.

The sun rises in spite of everything

and the far cities are beautiful and bright.

Ilie here in a riot of sunlight

watching the day break and the clouds flying.

Everything is going to be all right.

— there WILL be dying, but let’s not get into that right now. The sun does rise in spite of everything. The birds still sing. We can let someone merge ahead of us even if they were riding our bumper the entire way to the freeway entrance. We can watch the shadows move across the room. We can be the okay thing in this messed up world.

Thank you, Charlotte, for sending us a poem, and for listening, and for thinking of us. 

OUTRO MUSIC

I  am Nora McInerny, and it’s going to be okay. 

The sun does rise in spite of everything. The birds still sing. We can let someone merge ahead of us, even though they were riding our bumper the entire way to the freeway entrance. We can watch the shadows move across the room, we can be the okay thing in this messed up world. Mr. Maho or man will not be around to hear my apology because he died at age 78 in October, 2020.

The IT and it’s going to be okay is sometimes a poem sent to us by a listener that I judge and then read and am wrong about. We love including your Okay things, and you can send them to us ig t b [email protected]. You can also call us six one twelve five six eight four four four one. It’s going to be okay as a production of Feelings and Co.

CREDITS