 |
| Vermont, 2015 |
The Peace of Wild Things
by Wendell Berry
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief.
(read the rest here, and take a few moments to listen to him reading the poem)
Impeachment, global warming, violence, mass extinctions, greedy corporations. But also Greta Thunberg...and art that has lasted 44,000 years...and the peace of wild things. These all give me some kind of hope for some kind of future. Plus, for the short term, we've got a Poetry Friday Roundup Schedule for January-June 2020!
For the even shorter term, head over to Liz Steinglass' blog right now for this week's Poetry Friday Roundup!
Thanks for closing my day with this calming poem by Wendell Berry, hearing him recite it adds another layer of calm. Yay for Greta Thunberg, Art, Writing, and the Poetry Friday Roundup Schedule through June 2020! And Yay for Mary Lee too!
ReplyDeleteThis poem is a respite...so needed in a world where I become frustrated and anxious just tuning into current events. Thank you for this island this morning. I lie down at the water too...just for a bit to sigh and be still.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this hopeful poem. It is lovely. I missed the call for Poetry Friday hosts. If an opening should come up, let me know. I would be happy to fill in :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for this. It is exactly what I needed.
ReplyDeleteThis is a favorite poem of mine. I, too, am nourished by the peace of wild things... thank you, Mary Lee. xo
ReplyDeleteWhen I go walking, I feel comforted. Wendell Berry knows how it is. Thanks for the audio, too, Mary Lee.
ReplyDeleteYes, Berry's poem is precisely what we need this week. There is always hope, and the beautiful things of this world, whether nature, or manmade creations, helps us cope and move forward.
ReplyDeleteYes! I'm thankful for Wendell Berry!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite poems, today or any day. I cannot help but think we would all be more sane if we spent more time coming into the peace of wild things.
ReplyDeleteAnd dang, I thought I had signed up to host but I guess I commented and didn't hit publish? If someone needs to drop out, I'm happy to step in. This time I will hit publish.
ReplyDeleteWe all need respite at times Mary Lee and Wendell Berry's poem serves as a timely reminder that it's okay to pull back for a time and appreciate something more tranquil and calming. Thanks for sharing this critical message.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my all-time favorite poems, Mary Lee. Thanks so much for sharing it today.
ReplyDeleteEvery day is a good day to read Berry's poem and to go to where the wild things are. Even in the midst of all the chaos that is our political news, there is still good to be found. I was blown away by the art find in Indonesia. Amazing.
ReplyDeletePerhaps this is why I so enjoy my time in the natural world. It truly serves as a way to escape the nonsense and chaos that swirls around us. Berry hits the nail on the head! Thank you, Mary Lee! -- Christie @ https://wonderingandwondering.wordpress.com/
ReplyDeleteThe peace from Berry's poem is refreshing during a month of hectic-paced life, grief, & world discord. Mary Lee, I was away at Hotel Hershey with the family and missed signing up for the PF schedule. Please let me know when you put up the next half of the year. I would take July 10th and September 25th if those are open. Thanks for sharing the poem and organizing the moderator list for PF.
ReplyDeleteOh, Mary Lee, this is one of my favorites of Berry's and I almost posted him yesterday, too. :) Yes to the audacity of hope.
ReplyDeleteJust love this poem and the peace it offers.
ReplyDelete