Turning to Poetry in Troubled Times

Whatever you are thinking, feeling this November 6th morning, I wish you both solace and hope today as we march forward into the unknown. Let’s do it together, with the power of words and art to uplift.

 “The Peace of Wild Things

by Wendell Berry (1968)

When despair for the world grows in me
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. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free
.

From The Selected Poems of Wendell Berry (Counterpoint, 1999)

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Author: EvelynKrieger

I'm a people watcher and word crafter, author of fiction and essays. I also blog on living the creative life during hard times. When not writing, I work as a private educational consultant. Special interests: dance, the moon, astronauts, beaches, poetry, staying alive.

13 thoughts on “Turning to Poetry in Troubled Times”

  1. There is a great divide in this country. There are hardships and frustrations and feelings of inadequacy that many of us cannot begin to understand. A drowning man will grab on to anything he is thrown, hoping to save his life. Many in our country are reaching out for a lifesaver. The incoming president is not their solution, but a reflection of their frustration. I am sad not just for the results of the election, but for what is behind it. I think we need to open our hearts to that. Until we do there will be no healing. No election can cure what is really going on here either way. That’s what I think. And by the way, reading Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver has brought me to a wide or understanding of this.

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    1. Very wise, Ellen and well said. Reading the endless analysis on how he won has also opened my eyes to the meaning behind the majority’s choice and how detached I may be from their plight and beliefs. I do think he conned them but he also connected enough that they were willing to overlook everything so many others so as dangerous and repugnant. Both sides talked of unity. Perhaps that is the one thing they can agree upon. Now, it remains to see if and how we can approach anything like that vision.

      And thank you for the book recommendation. I had considered reading this one….

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