Description
“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.”~Wendell Berry
The “despair for the world grows in me”…powerful words. How many of you feel that despair or is it just my own heart that stumbles down that path?
As I went through thousands of images and relived hundreds of memories creating the body of work, Wild and Untethered, some that made me giggle, some filled me with sadness, some frustration and anger, some pure joy….I wonder just how far our wild horses of America have come. How far have humans come in recognizing that nature cannot be controlled, nor are our ways the ways of our wild ones, and if we want nature to survive (whatever nature means to you) it doesn’t require more laws, more restrictions, it requires more education and spending more time in nature to truly understand who she is, to give all who live in nature the respect they so deserve. Humans are a contradiction, as I am. How far have we really come?
It also means for wildness and earth to survive humans must sacrifice their comforts, and in that knowledge, that knowledge of humans, is where the despair arrives. Knowing that so many of us don’t want to listen, or we think we already know it all, or we quickly judge a situation without knowing all the facts or hear all sides of a story. I am as guilty as the next human, but of one thing I am certain, I understand those spirits of wilds, the living and the dead and I become frustrated for it. Sad really, divided, conflicted on what is the best way to make a difference. Call me what you want….good or bad, but I will always stand for the ones with no voice, or underclassed, or bullied, or not respected — human or wild, young or old.
As I traversed the years, I have found so many unshared stories and images, or images that fill my heart with peace, and this image of wild, bachelor stallion, Circus, I felt was appropriate for Wendell Berry’s prose. I caught him sneaking back to his beloved wildnerness area one early morning before sunrise near Wind Canyon in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. All smug in himself that morning like he had just had a good time with the boys of the hood partying the night before!
I bring you “the peace of the wilds things” in this Wild Sip as this wild bachelor stallion, Circus, comes into the presence of still water.
Rest in the grace of the world, for you are free!
This one of a kind 24×16 limited edition print is professionally framed to protect your investment for the next generations. Printed by a master printer this fine art piece is framed with a black wood frame, white archival mat, and archival UV acrylic. Includes an added professional look to give the artwork more depth when viewing. Signed, titled, and numbered by the artist with a graphite pencil and includes a Certificate of Authenticity (COA).
