James Wright: A Blessing
Just off the highway to Rochester, Minnesota,
Twilight bounds softly forth on the grass.
And the eyes of those two Indian ponies
Darken with kindness.
Elizabeth Romero: Summer Sunrise
The sun came up this morning
Like a madwoman’s red eye
Edna St. Vincent Millay: Spring
To what purpose, April, do you return again?
Beauty is not enough.
Andrea Hollander: Pleasure
Because yesterday I lay fully dressed alone on my bed listening to the sweet-tempered yatter of rain I’d longed for all summer, a sound that continued for hours against the … Continue reading
Walter Bargen: Dogs of Beauty
Somewhere in some other place their kind are wild, meant for the verdant and exotic, and on the west slopes of the coastal range, near Palos Verdes, where the foothills … Continue reading
Michael Simms: The Garden and the Drone
We come to the garden because it is beautiful. Arborvitae, hydrangea, anemone— Even the names are beautiful. . The men who call themselves our leaders Seem far away. We feel … Continue reading
Sam Hamill: Remembering Kenneth Rexroth
The maple leaves are always green up here, and the waters of the Sound always blue. I have been thinking of you all day, at least since breezes pushed the … Continue reading
Paul Christensen: The Need To Know Why
. I thought I wanted to become a philosopher when I went to college. I signed up for an introductory course and found myself sitting in a large hall with … Continue reading
Mary Oliver: Nature and the Poet
I could not be a poet without the natural world. Someone else could. But not me. For me the door to the woods is the door to the temple.
Andrena Zawinski: Singing Bird Haibun
“Sitting quietly, doing nothing, spring comes, and the grass grows by itself.” Basho . It is not a steely-eyed egret nor heft of pelican but just a singing bird that … Continue reading
Video: Wallace Stegner’s “A Letter to Congress” (with complete text included)
. Director Christopher Newman says of this film: I originally set out to make this film as a sort of homage to Wallace Stegner and the enduring words he wrote … Continue reading
Paul Christensen: The Fall Weather
The first chill of autumn is threading its way through the trees, like a brown yarn among the dense green flags. It’s exhilarating. I’m happy. I don’t care how many … Continue reading
Video: The Silent Friends
The abiding bond between people and trees is celebrated in this cinematic ode produced by the Spanish filmmaking company Kauri. The Big Banyan Tree is considered to be one of … Continue reading
George Monbiot: Channelling the Joy
In defending the natural world, we should be honest about our motivations – it’s love that drives us, not money. Who wants to see the living world destroyed? Who wants … Continue reading
Vox Populi 