Mary Oliver Was Punk AF and She Would Have Wanted You to Get Off Your Phone

Mary Oliver was punk. She wasn’t a punk, but she was punk in spirit and ethos. I know what you’re thinking: ”But wasn’t she really into nature and therefore more of a hippie?” Yes, she did love nature, but no, Mary Oliver was punk af. Because her resistance was active and her attention was radical. Instead of fast, aggressive songs, she wrote tender, poignant poems that awakened the soul like a 1-minute punk anthem. And if she had one anti-establishment message for you, it would be get off your phone, go outside, and pay attention.   

Let’s zoom out and take a look at some core punk ideology:

• Reject corporate culture, mainstream institutions, and materialism. 
• Embrace DIY: make your own art, music, publications without relying on corporate structures or commercial validation.
• Be your true self and never conform to societal expectations. 

Honestly? This describes Mary Oliver more than it does Sid Vicious. 

And just because Mary Oliver never staged a protest, moshed in a pit, or squatted in an abandoned building, she did vehemently reject mainstream societal norms, shun material possessions, and she even built a one-room house in her backyard by hand from salvaged, recycled materials. That’s badass. She was also a queer icon who lived life on her own terms. 

But the most punk thing she did was pay attention to the natural world around her. 

If you’ve ever identified as punk in your youth, as many of us have, and still believe in those ideals but don’t know how to fit them into adult life, then let Mary Oliver be your guiding spirit. If you have “damn the man” in your heart, but 1700 emails in your inbox, here’s how to reconcile your two halves. Here’s our guide to living like our favorite punk poet, or as TikTok calls it, Mary Olivermaxxing.  

Touch grass. 

“She was the queen of ‘touch grass,’” Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World director Sasha Waters told Kino Lorber. 

Go for walk in the woods—without your phone.

Nope, not even music. It’s amazing how much you’ll notice about the world around you when you don’t have your phone to check.

Pay attention to one new thing every day.

The weird shrub outside your building. How the sunset is reflected in the windows on your block. Savor the taste of something you eat.

Look up. 

Sometimes the clouds do cool things. 

Write down your observations. 

If going into the world with no tech and no agenda is truly too daunting, then take a notebook. Sit under a tree or on a park bench and jot down everything you see. 

Spend time alone. 

There’s nothing like solitude to quiet your mind and inspire self-reflection and creativity. 

Love what’s here now.

The people in your life, the places that comfort you, the items that bring you joy. Love these things fiercely because nothing lasts forever. 

Stay astonished. 

Life gets busy and the world can be a harsh place. It’s easy to become jaded and to take things for granted. Resist! Daily commuting is a grind, but it can also be a quiet meditation on the humanity around you. Buck moths in spring can be a nuisance but have you ever noticed how chic their pattern is? The world is full of everyday miracles. Don’t forget to notice them throughout your one wild and precious life.   

To learn more about Mary Oliver, stream Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World on Kino Film Collection. 

Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World (2026)