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.
by Wendell Berry
Are you worrying about the future? It's no wonder if you are. All our plans these days seem to have the proviso "If....". Nothing seems certain, apart from the fact the we are living with the Covid 19 pandemic.
Yet, nature isn't worrying. "Wild things" are not anxious about the future; they live in the moment. The poet Wendell Berry seeks solace and reassurance in the natural world. You may not literally have to go and lie down near a lake waiting for the stars to appear! Perhaps though, you can experience some kind of freedom in the natural world, and feel able to simply rest in the present moment, as wild things do.
Writing prompt: What are you feeling anxious about? Do you worry about the future? Are you concerned for your children? Explore your anxieties in your writing and perhaps think about a time when you were in nature, feeling free and at peace. Set a timer and write for seven minutes without stopping. Share if you like.
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