The Peace of Wild Things

The Peace of Wild Things

When despair for the world grows in me

and I awake 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.  I come into the presence of still water.

And I feel above me the day-blind stars

waiting for their light.  For a time

I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

It feels to me as though we are living in perilous times.

World peace, economic stability…all seems like pipe dreams.

Hence, this poem by Wendell Berry

 

 

 

11 thoughts on “The Peace of Wild Things”

  2. He’s one of my favorites. He’s local to me, and I absolutely love his stance on responsible farming and land use practices. He actually inspired us to buy a farm and use it wisely and with future generations in mind. He’s a fantastic guy. 😊

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  5. Great poem. Certainly inspirational. Reminds me of a refrain…..There’s a wildness in the wind tonight as foam flecked waves come pounding into shore. In this black and stormy wildness my heart and my soul long for peace and MORE…so much M O R E. ( In the wildness a small light from a lighthouse brings the peace.). I love poetry which touches the depths of soul. Thank you.

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