An owl sound wandered along the road with me. I didn't hear it--I breathed it into my ears.
Interpretation
This quote expresses a deep connection with nature, showcasing the importance of truly experiencing the world around us.
William Stafford's quote illustrates how nature can become an integral part of our sensory experience. By describing how he 'breathed' the owl's sound into his ears, Stafford conveys a sense of mindfulness and awareness, emphasizing that true engagement with our surroundings can evoke profound feelings of connection and serenity. This reflective approach invites us to be present in the moment and fully appreciate the subtleties of the natural world.
In practice
This quote can be used in a nature appreciation workshop to encourage participants to engage with their environment.
I keep following this sort of hidden river of my life, you know, whatever the topic or impulse which comes, I follow it along trustingly. And I don't have any sense of its coming to a kind of crescendo, or of its petering out either. It is just going steadily along.
They miss the whisper that runs any day in your mind, "Who are you really, wanderer?"-- and the answer you have to give no matter how dark and cold the world around you is: "Maybe I'm a king.
A speech is something you say so as to distract attention from what you do not say.
The things you do not have to say make you rich. Saying things you do not have to say weakens your talk. Hearing things you do not need to hear dulls your hearing. And things you know before you hear them β those are you, those are why you are in the world.
A poem is a serious joke, a truth that has learned jujitsu.
So, the world happens twice--_x000D_ once what we see it as;_x000D_ second it legends itself_x000D_ deep, the way it is.
The summer breeze was blowing on your face_x000D_ _x000D_ Within your violet you treasure your summery words_x000D_ _x000D_ And as the shiver from my neck down to my spine_x000D_ _x000D_ Ignited me in daylight and nature in the garden
We are extremely uncomfortable with the spiritual aspects of gardening, and yet most people feel it in some form or other, even if it's a sense of connection to the greater world on a beautiful day.
Tree at my window, window tree, My sash is lowered when night comes on; But let there never be curtain drawn Between you and me.
If religion and science could be united on the common ground of biological conservation, the problem would be soon solved. If there is any moral precept shared by people of all beliefs, it is that we owe ourselves and future generations a beautiful, rich, and healthful environment.
My job, my mission, the reason Iβve been put onto this planet, is to save wildlife. And I thank you for cominβ with me. Yeah, letβs get 'em!
We are on the precipice of climate system tipping points beyond which there is no redemption.
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