Steve Buscemi reads Mary Oliver's "The First Time Percy Came Back"
Clip: 8/25/2026 | 58sVideo has Closed Captions
Listen to Steve Buscemi read Mary Oliver's poem "The First Time Percy Came Back."
Listen to Steve Buscemi read Mary Oliver's poem "The First Time Percy Came Back" in this outtake from "Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World."
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Support for American Masters is provided by AARP, The Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Thea Petschek Iervolino Foundation, Burton P. and Judith B. Resnick Foundation, The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation,...
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Steve Buscemi reads Mary Oliver's "The First Time Percy Came Back"
Clip: 8/25/2026 | 58sVideo has Closed Captions
Listen to Steve Buscemi read Mary Oliver's poem "The First Time Percy Came Back" in this outtake from "Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World."
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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The first time Percy came back, he was not sailing on a cloud.
He was loping along the sand as though he had come a great way.
"Percy," I cried out, and reached to him, those white curls, but he was unreachable.
As music is present, yet you can't touch it.
"Yes, it's all different," he said.
"You're going to be very surprised."
But I wasn't thinking of that.
I only wanted to hold him.
"Listen," he said.
"I miss that too.
And now you'll be telling stories of my coming back and they won't be false and they won't be true, but they'll be real."
And then as he used to, he said, "Let's go."
And we walked down the beach together.
(bright music) (bright music continues)
How Mary Oliver met her life partner, Molly Malone Cook
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Mary Oliver met her life partner, photographer Molly Malone Cook, at Steepletop. (1m 26s)
NewLucy Dacus reads Mary Oliver's "The Journey"
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Lucy Dacus reads Mary Oliver's poem "The Journey" in this outtake. (1m 6s)
Mary Oliver had a troubled childhood
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Mary Oliver often hinted at the turmoil within her family, but sought to move past it. (2m 32s)
Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World
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Celebrate the life and career of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Mary Oliver. (2m 37s)
The political nature of Mary Oliver's poems
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Mary Oliver sought to call attention to the destruction of the earth in her work. (2m)
Steve Buscemi reads Mary Oliver's poem, "The Fish"
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Listen to Steve Buscemi read Mary Oliver's poem "The Fish" in this excerpt from the film. (1m 18s)
Unpacking the meaning behind Mary Oliver's "Wild Geese"
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"Wild Geese" is one of Mary Oliver's most popular poems. (2m 30s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship
Support for PBS provided by:
Support for American Masters is provided by AARP, The Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Thea Petschek Iervolino Foundation, Burton P. and Judith B. Resnick Foundation, The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation,...