Pax Optima Rerum
-Peace is the greatest good
‘The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope.
‘Whether we and our politicians know it or not, Nature is party to all our deals and decisions, and she has more votes, a longer memory, and a sterner sense of justice than we do.’- Wendell Berry
Wendell Berry: A Man of Many Hats
Photo credit: The New Yorker
Wendell Berry, now in his 90s, is indeed a "man of many hats," as he is a well-known author, poet, essayist, novelist, storyteller, farmer, campaigner for peace and justice, caring teacher, and environmental activist. He is particularly known for his works that blend nature writing with social commentary and advocacy for sustainable agriculture and community-based living. His message often emphasizes the importance of living in harmony with nature and the need to protect the natural world.
The Peace of Wild Things
by Wendell Berry
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.
“The Peace of Wild Things” by Wendell Berry, A Poetry Film by Charlotte Ager & Katy Wang
Watch the Video HERE
Asa Butterfield performs The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry
The actor shares a poem in celebration of peace. The film is part of a series to mark Celebration Day 2025 – a new annual moment, held on the last bank holiday Monday of May, to honour and celebrate those who have shaped our lives but are no longer with us. Directed by Oliver Parker at Abbey Road Studios, curated by Allie Esiri and published exclusively by the Guardian.- Watch the Video HERE
Related readings:
“Your Friend, Wendell”: A 90th Birthday Tribute to Wendell Berry