I Know Someone
By Mary Oliver
I know someone who kisses the way
a flower opens, but more rapidly.
Flowers are sweet. They have
short, beatific lives. They offer
much pleasure. There is
nothing in the world that can be said
against them.
Sad, isn’t it, that all they can kiss is the air.
Yes, yes! We are the lucky ones.
About the Poem
There is something wonderfully simple and joyful about this poem. In just a few lines, Mary Oliver takes an ordinary human act—a kiss—and compares it to a flower opening toward the world. The image is tender, sensual, and alive with warmth. Flowers, she reminds us, are beautiful and fleeting, offering pleasure simply by existing. Yet they can only “kiss the air.” Human beings, however, are given the extraordinary ability to truly touch one another with love and affection.
What makes the poem especially moving is its sense of gratitude. Rather than focusing on loss or longing, Oliver celebrates the gift of connection itself. “Yes, yes! We are the lucky ones,” feels almost like a whispered prayer of thanksgiving for intimacy, companionship, and love. It is a reminder not to take those moments for granted.
For LGBTQ+ readers, the poem can carry an even deeper resonance. Much of queer life has historically involved hiding affection, denying love, or being told that certain kinds of love were somehow lesser. Oliver’s poem quietly rejects that shame. Love is natural. Affection is beautiful. Human connection is a blessing. The poem delights in tenderness without apology.
There is also something deeply hopeful in Oliver’s words. Flowers bloom briefly, but while they are here, they are radiant. Human lives are also fleeting, yet we are capable of giving and receiving love in ways that transform us. That, Oliver suggests, is part of what makes life sacred.
About the Poet
Mary Oliver (1935–2019) was one of America’s most beloved poets, known for her deeply observant writing about nature, spirituality, love, and the human experience. Her poetry often explored the sacredness of ordinary moments, finding profound meaning in birdsong, forests, rivers, and quiet acts of affection.
Oliver won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award and became widely admired for poetry that was accessible, emotionally honest, and spiritually reflective. Many readers found comfort in the gentleness and wisdom of her work.
In her later collections, particularly Felicity, Oliver wrote more openly about love and intimacy, drawing inspiration from her decades-long relationship with photographer Molly Malone Cook. These poems carry a warmth and tenderness that continue to resonate strongly with LGBTQ+ readers and anyone who has experienced deep affection and companionship.
Joe
The Closet Professor 