Ni hao, Hola, and Bonjour!
Ahoy me mateys!
I am the one, the only, Mary of the Beths
From the port city of the New Orleans
Daughter of Michael
Herbert, computer-master, and of Amy Jo, child-wrangler
I am a citizen of the world, descending
from the people of
Ireland, land of the kilts and the bagpipes
Of Germany
And the GREAT Britain
And of Italy, land of pasta and pastries
I am Mary Beth, traveler of the world
Costa Rica, China, who knows where
I travel far and wide to embark on great
adventures
Meeting people of all sorts
Planting trees of life
With roots going deep, deep down
And giving them living water
So that they’ll never thirst again
MB, music-maker
Player of the white and black keys
Creating a melody to sing to
A symphony to dance to
Zion, daughter of the King
Hephzibah, beloved
No longer forsaken
I have been taken in
Dirt and rags and all my ugly baggage and
clothes
Because he’s been lavished by my sight despite
all of it
My name is Mary Beth
I will raise up more children of the King
I will plant more trees and water many more
I will overcome life and death
Both in my own land and in the foreign
I will follow what I am sure of
The light ahead of me
And I will stand stone-hard when I don’t
I will live life, loving it
A life of the unbelievable
A life of joy and freedom
Mary Beth Oliver
Citizen of the heavens
Lover of the unlovely
Mover of mountains inside and outside of
myself
Vessel of yieldedness, not silver or gold
In love, but loved even more
Myself, but not my own
Sealed and remembered always, my name
graven on the Master’s hand
Satisfied, and being satisfied
Running a race of endurance, not speed
Rain-, sun-, and wind-dancer
Searcher of the deep and vast unknown
