The Journey

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice—
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
“Mend my life!”
you said.
There is nothing
you can do.
But you have to go.
And you have to go
into the dark, alone.
Into the wide, moving world
you went—
you took your first step,
and you didn’t look back.

• Mary Oliver