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Appointment as Chair of Sustainable Business

Press Release

Dr Wayne Visser, accomplished writer, speaker and lecturer in the area of corporate responsibility and sustainability and innovation, has joined the University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) as the Transnet Chair of Sustainable Business. The Chair was created with generous funding from Transnet SOC through the Transnet Programme in Sustainable Development (TPSD).

Dr Visser will teach sustainability on the GIBS MBA programme as well as deliver an elective focused on innovation for future fitness. As Chair of the programme, Dr Visser will be dedicated to developing the reach and impact of sustainability-related education and research within the business school.
“It is a great honour to be selected as the first Transnet Chair of Sustainable Business,” says Visser. “I look forward to contributing to the profile and authority of sustainability-related educational activities within the school and the South African business community. My focus for the next year will be on mainstreaming sustainability and encouraging learning from best practice around the world.”

Dr Visser is director of the think tank Kaleidoscope Futures and founder of CSR International, where he consults to and conducts research for organisations like the IFC, World Bank, UNEP, the Wikirate project and GeoWel Research. In addition, Dr Visser is senior associate at the University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership and adjunct professor of Sustainable Development at Deakin Business School in Australia. Before obtaining his PhD, he was director of Sustainability Services for KPMG where he established a new consulting and assurance department within KPMG.

Commenting on Dr Visser’s appointment, Professor Nick Binedell, dean of GIBS, said, “Dr Visser brings a dynamic agenda of business scholarship, interdisciplinary and innovative teaching experiences, and expertise in the areas of corporate responsibility and sustainability, all of which enrich and complement GIBS’ mission to significantly improve the competitive performance of individuals and organisations through business education.”

In May 2008, using funding from Transnet, GIBS established its first academic programme in sustainable development: the Transnet Programme in Sustainable Development. According to Claire Thwaits, senior programme manager for the TPSD, the purpose which is to look at collaboration and pressing sustainability issues within business. She says, “GIBS is looking to deepen thought leadership and knowledge around specific issues that are changing the way businesses operate. We are trying to instil in the people who walk through our doors, be they students or delegates, that the economy is interdependent with society and the environment and that sustainability is based on all three of these independent variables. We focus very strongly on leadership and corporate citizenship. Looking at the role business has to play in society is very much a part of our focus area in terms of creating future leaders.”

Dr Visser is the author of 19 books, including “CSR 2.0” (2013), “The Quest for Sustainable Business” (2012), “The Age of Responsibility” (2011), “The World Guide to CSR” (2010) and “The A to Z of Corporate Social Responsibility” (2010). He is a guest columnist for The Guardian newspaper and has delivered more than 250 professional speeches all around the world, with his work taking him to 68 countries in the last 20 years, giving GIBS an important international perspective into the field of sustainable development.

Source: GIBS

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2014 Calendar – Recent & Upcoming Events

January 2014

14-15 January: Bordeaux, FRANCE – Corporate Sustainability & Responsibility (MBA course lectures, Kedge Business School)

February 2014

18 February: Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA – Sustainable Design & Technology: “Eco-innovation” (Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership)

20 February – 1 March: Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA – Sustainable Business (MBA course lectures, Gordon Institute of Business Science)

March 2014

6 March: Guadalajara, MEXICO – Sustainability Innovation & Change Management (Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Tecnológico de Monterrey Campus Guadalajara)

7 March: Guadalajara, MEXICO – Strategies for making  your business  Future Fit (Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Tecnológico de Monterrey Campus Guadalajara)

7 March: Guadalajara, MEXICO – The Art and Practice of Sustainability Leadership (Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Tecnológico de Monterrey Campus Guadalajara)

11 March: Ghent, BELGIUM – CSR is Failing: How Can We Make it Succeed? (Keynote speech, Flemish CSR Association)

12 March: Amersvoort, NETHERLANDS – Beyond CSR 2.0: From Responsibility to Resilience (Keynote speech, Beyond CSR)

20 March: Cambridge, UNITED KINGDOM – Sustainability Codes and Standards: Influential or Impotent?  (MSt lecture, University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership)

April 2014

23 April: London, UNITED KINGDOM – CSR Survives: But Can it Thrive? (Keynote speech, Net Impact).

May 2014

5 May: Cambridge, UNITED KINGDOM – Visions of a future-fit world: safe, shared, smart, sustainable & satisfying (Lecture, University of Cambridge Institute for Manufacturing)

7 May: Vienna, AUSTRIA – Moving ahead with technology (Presentation, UNEP-UNIDO Eco-Innovation workshop)

13 May: Melbourne, AUSTRALIA – Creating Shared Value: Revolution or Clever Con? (Speech, Deakin Business School Alumni Network)

13 May: Melbourne, AUSTRALIA – The Art and Practice of Sustainability Leadership (Lecture, Deakin Business School Faculty Seminar)

22 May: Seoul, SOUTH KOREA – Strategies for Surviving and Thriving in the Future (Keynote speech, KOSRI)

28 May: Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA – Your Future Fitness as a Leader & Transforming your Organisation (Dimension Data programme run by Gordon Institute for Business Science)

29-30 May: Harare, ZIMBABWE – CSR 2.0: Beyond CSV and CSR 1.0 (Keynote speech, Regional Centre for Social Responsibility, CSR Indaba)

June 2014

5-8 June: Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA – Innovation for Future Fitness (MBA course lectures, Gordon Institute of Business Science)

July 2014

10 July: Cambridge, UNITED KINGDOM – Sustainability Codes and Standards (Postgraduate Certificate in Sustainable Value Chains, University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership)

10 July: Cambridge, UNITED KINGDOM – Leadership for Change (Postgraduate Certificate in Sustainable Value Chains, University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership)

August 2014

5 August: Cambridge, UNITED KINGDOM – Sustainable Design and Technology: Eco-Innovation (MSt course lecture, University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership)

28 August: Ann Arbor, USA (delivered virtually) – The Future of Business: How to Survive and Thrive in a Climate Constrained World (Webinar, Omnex).

September 2014

16 September: Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA (delivered virtually) – Beyond CSR to CIV: Creating Integrated Value (keynote speech, AgendaRSE).

18 September: Cambridge, UNITED KINGDOM – The Quest for Sustainable Business (MSt course lecture, University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership)

19 September: Cambridge, UNITED KINGDOM – Strategies for Making your Business Future-Fit (MSt course lecture, University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership)

October 2014

3 October 2014: Colombo, SRI LANKA – The Art and Practice of Sustainability Leadership (Keynote speech, CSR Conference, CSR Sri Lanka).

17 October: Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA (delivered virtually) – Futures Thinking (Global Executive Development Programme lecture, Gordon Institute for Business Science)

23 October: Cambridge, UNITED KINGDOM – Being an Effective Change Agent (MSt course lecture, University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership)

November 2014

21 November: Moscow, RUSSIAN FEDERATION – CSR 2.0 in the context of modern challenges (Keynote speech, Conference on Philosophy and Culture of Social Responsibility, Moscow State Institute of International Relations)

26-29 November: Stockholm, SWEDEN – Sustainable Development & CSR (MBA lectures, Stockholm School of Economics SSE Riga)

December 2014

3-5 December: Bordeaux, FRANCE – Corporate Sustainability & Responsibility (MBA lectures, Kedge Business School)

8-12 December: Quito, ECUADOR – Creating Shared Value: Beyond CSR and CSV (Part of CSR Week, Hexagon / S2M).

Bookings

For more background information, see my speaking and lecturing profile.

To book a keynote speech, lecture or training event, please use the Contact form.

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Finding your inner sustainability superhero

Finding your inner sustainability superhero

Article by Wayne Visser

Part of the Unlocking Change series for The Guardian.

For change to be sustained and transformational we need to tap into the powers of different types of sustainability superheroes.

Have you ever wondered why do we do it? The sustainability hokey cokey, I mean. Most of us – whether we are sustainability professionals, academics, consultants, students, activists or wannabes – could have pursued different career paths. For my sins, having studied marketing, I could have become a spin-doctor or an ad-man. So what makes us choose sustainability instead? What makes us tattoo the S-word to our foreheads (metaphorically speaking, I hope)?

My research shows that there are deep psychological – even existential – reasons why we ‘do’ sustainability. And you may be surprised to know that it is not because we want to save the world, or because we care about people, or even because we want to ‘make a difference’. At least, not directly. The real reason is because it gives us personal satisfaction – not of the sugar-rush or warm-cuddly variety, but of the purpose-inspired, life satisfaction kind.

If we dig a bit deeper, we find that six motivational forces drive our work in sustainability. First, it allows us to feel that our work is aligned to our personal values, whether these are faith-based or humanistic. Second, we find the work stimulating. Sustainability a bit like Sudoku for hippies – it is complex, dynamic and challenging, like an ultimate earth-puzzle that needs solving. Most sustainability enthusiasts share these two drivers.

The other four drivers tend to be distributed across the sustainability tribe. Some find meaning in giving specialist input, while others prefer empowering people. Some are motivated to come up with effective strategies, while others feel most satisfied if they are making a contribution to society. These drivers translate into a set of sustainability leader archetypes – think of them as our very own Fantastic Four, namely: Experts, Facilitators, Catalysts and Activists. Each represents a different kind of sustainability change agent.

Sustainability Experts tend to be focused on the details of a particular issue, with a deep knowledge and understanding, often of a technical or scientific nature. They like working on projects, designing systems and being consulted for their expertise. Their satisfaction comes from continuous learning and self-development. They are most frustrated by the failure of others to be persuaded by the compelling evidence, or to implement systems as they were designed.

Sustainability Facilitators are most concerned with using their knowledge to empower others to act, using their strong people skills to make change happen. They like working with teams, delivering training and giving coaching. Their satisfaction is in seeing changes in people’s understanding, work or careers. They become frustrated when individuals let the team down, or when those in power do not allow enthusiastic groups to act.

Sustainability Catalysts enjoy the challenge of shifting an organisation in a new direction, using their political skills of persuasion to change strategies. They like working with leadership teams and articulating the business case for sustainability. They are often pragmatic visionaries and are frustrated when top management fails to see – and more importantly, to act on – the opportunities and risks facing the organisation.

Sustainability Activists are typically passionate about macro-level issues and their impacts on society or the planet as a whole, using their strong feelings about justice to motivate their actions. Their satisfaction comes from challenging the status quo, questioning those in power and articulating an idealistic vision of a better future. They tend to be great networkers and are mainly frustrated by the apathy of others in the face of urgent crises.

As you reflect on what type of sustainability superhero you may be, I expect all four will resonate to a greater or lesser extent. This is because we are composite beings when it comes to making sustainability change happen. But we do gravitate more strongly to one archetype, based on what gives us the deepest personal satisfaction. And there are three good reasons why you should know which cape and tights fits you best.

First, aligning with your inner superhero means embracing a mode of action in which you are most professionally effective and purpose-inspired. Second, it allows you to check that your formal role, or the direction of your career, is consistent with your archetype – the mask must fit the cape and tights. And third, it encourages you to consciously put together teams with a balance of Experts, Facilitators, Catalysts and Activists – the ideal earth-crime fighting force.

So it is not enough that all change begins with individuals. For change to be sustained and transformational – for sustainability to be a force for good in the world, and to save the earth from humans – we need the joint efforts of the Fantastic Four, each with their particular superpowers: knowledge for the Experts, collaboration for the Facilitators, imagination for the Catalysts, and compassion for the Activists. Will you join in the heroes’ crusade?

 

Download

[button size=”small” color=”blue” style=”download” new_window=”false” link=”http://www.waynevisser.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/article_unlocking_change4_wvisser.pdf”]Pdf[/button] Finding your inner sustainability superhero (article)

Related websites

[button size=”small” color=”blue” style=”tick” new_window=”false” link=”http://www.waynevisser.com/books/the-quest-for-sustainable-business”]Link[/button] The Quest for Sustainable Business (book)

[button size=”small” color=”blue” style=”tick” new_window=”false” link=”http://www.csrinternational.org”]Link[/button] CSR International (website)

Cite this article

Visser, W. (2013) Finding your inner sustainability superhero. The Guardian, 21 October 2013.

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Let It Begin

I’m thinking it’s not too late, that our fate is not sealed,
That the race of life is far from run; we’re not done,
For we wield the wand of choice, we have a voice,
We can speak for the Earth, and not let her perish,
Take care of her creatures and all that we cherish,
For we’re not ready to give up, or stand idly by
And watch our mother die.

Let it begin, with protecting more, then let’s restore
The land and sea, let’s win back what we’ve lost,
Before the cost becomes too high, because the sky’s
The limit and fortune favours those who try.

I’m dreaming of a new world, of nature unfurled
In swirls of blue and curls of green, in bursts of yellow
And swathes of pink, each time I blink another species
Comes back from the brink, another habitat is restored
To health, and the wealth of ecosystems returns,
Emerging from the gloom of the womb to give birth
To a revitalised Earth.

Let it begin, with the wolves and whales, as we tip the scales
Of trophic cascades, and as our fear fades we realise
That hunter and prey are performing a dance, a rhyme
That gives us a chance to reanimate the world, given time.

I’m learning that nature is resilient, that it’s brilliant
At bouncing back, if only we give it space, the lack
Of bugs and birds, of fish and trees can be reversed
In a burst of recovery, as the great extinction turns
Into a great flourishing, a nourishing of roots and shoots,
As biota and biomes, cycles and food webs are repaired
And their bounty is shared.

Let it begin, with the factories and farms, turning harms
Into new ways of making and growing, of showing
How waste can be nutrients, and soils be alive,
For life coils like a spring, forever poised to thrive.

I’m turning dreams into action, and gaining traction
As solutions take hold and scale, as we dare to be bold
And fail, while tales of our success spreads, like bees
From flower to flower, the power is in our hands,
To clean up the oceans, and heal our lands,
And so I’m choosing to detox, to reseed and rewild,
For the hopes of a child.

Let it begin.

Wayne Visser © 2024

Book

Seize the Day: Favourite Inspirational Poems

This unique collection brings together poems for positive action by poet and writer, Wayne Visser, providing inspiration for all those who a striving to change the world for the better. The anthology includes perennial favourites such as Be An Optimist, A Place to Thrive, Think on Business, To Lead, Giving Up, It’s Time, A Swirling Story, Because I Care, and, of course, Change the World (Parts 1 and 2), as well as more recent poems like A Butterfly Appeared, The Great Outdoors, and Letter to Earth. Buy the paper book / Buy the e-book.

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An Iridescent Call

A lilting lyric whispers a shadow of darker days
An unlucky roll of the loaded dice of chance
A meandering melody rises and falls, pitches and sways
A flight on the wing, an open invitation to dance

The rhythm is beating, I’m tapping my feet
The singer is singing, I’m feeling the heat
The word clouds are poems, my skies are ablaze
The music is swirling, I’m running the maze

A percussive pulse taps a dulcet drum in my head
A wave of joy rises like an ocean swell in my heart
A vaulting voice flows freely, swirling blue and red
A wail of black endings, an iridescent call to start.

Wayne Visser © 2024

Book

Seize the Day: Favourite Inspirational Poems

This creative collection, now in its 3rd edition, brings together favourite inspirational poems by Wayne Visser. The anthology takes us on a journey through the peaks and troughs of life, celebrating the indomitable human spirit.. It includes many old favourites like “Poets Must Be” and “Chasing the Blue”, as well as brand new poems like “The Writer” and “Making Ripples”. Sages through the ages wisely say: / Carpe Diem – seize the dawning day / Oh, would that I could assuage that thirst / But the day conspires to seize me first! / With the hurry and scurry / Of home’s frantic flurry / And the hustle and bustle / Of work’s tangled tussle. Buy the paper book / Buy the e-book.

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The Soundtrack of Our Lives

All it takes is a song, a riff, or a note
And I’m transported back, spirited away
I’m a time traveller to somewhere remote
Yet familiar, a place where I used to play

Music is a form of magic, an enchantment
That reveals clues to secrets of the heart
Music is a kind of mushroom, an hallucinogen
That opens doors to wild worlds we can chart

All it takes is a beat, a hook, or a voice
And we’re reconnected, spellbound in a blink
We’re in the memory maze of fate and choice
Reliving our dreams, and dancing in sync.

Wayne Visser © 2024

Book

Seize the Day: Favourite Inspirational Poems

This creative collection, now in its 3rd edition, brings together favourite inspirational poems by Wayne Visser. The anthology takes us on a journey through the peaks and troughs of life, celebrating the indomitable human spirit.. It includes many old favourites like “Poets Must Be” and “Chasing the Blue”, as well as brand new poems like “The Writer” and “Making Ripples”. Sages through the ages wisely say: / Carpe Diem – seize the dawning day / Oh, would that I could assuage that thirst / But the day conspires to seize me first! / With the hurry and scurry / Of home’s frantic flurry / And the hustle and bustle / Of work’s tangled tussle. Buy the paper book / Buy the e-book.

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Rewilding

Our living world may be under threat
But we’re not giving up, no not just yet
For we get to say how this tale ends
And it’s never too late to make amends

Let’s get to know what nature’s knowing
And start to sow what nature’s sowing
Let’s feel the flow of nature’s flowing
And start to go where nature’s going

Bring back the hunters and the grazers
To recreate life’s moods and mazes
Bring back the diggers and dam-makers
To be the shifters and the shapers

For rewilding’s about letting go and letting be
It’s about getting slow and setting free
Rewilding’s about thinking big and starting small
It’s about linking up and standing tall

So let’s rewild our rivers, our wetlands and seas
Our forests and grasslands, our meadows for bees
Let’s rewild our cities, our gardens and streets
Our factories and farms, where earth and sky meets

Bring back wild horses, wild boars and wild bears
The wolves and the badgers that live in their lairs
Bring back the wild elephants and wild otters shy
The cheetahs and pumas and eagles that fly

For rewilding’s about taking less and giving more
It’s about making space from mountain to shore
Rewilding’s about seeing beauty in the tangled mess
It’s about trusting more and controlling less

So let’s rewild our oceans, our lakes and our lands
Our corals and coastlines, our vast desert sands
Let’s rewild our mindscapes, to be truly alive
And give life on this planet its moment to thrive

For our living world at last has a chance
To regenerate its bounty in a sacred dance
As we join with nature, moving in sync
We’ll rewild the Earth, back from the brink

Wayne Visser © 2024

Book

Wishing Leaves: Favourite Nature Poems

This creative collection, now in its 3rd edition, brings together nature poems by Wayne Visser, celebrating the diversity, beauty and ever-changing moods of our planet. The anthology includes many old favourites like “I Think I Was a Tree Once” and “A Bug’s Life”, as well as brand new poems like “Monet’s Dream” and “The Environmentalist”. Then as we turned our faces to the moon / Our hands entwined, our hearts in sync, in tune / We felt the fingers of the silken breeze / And made our wishes on the falling leaves / A gust of wind set off a whispered sigh / Among the trees that leaned against the sky.  Buy the paper book / Buy the e-book.

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If You Believe

Do you believe that the world can be better?
That what comes next is not determined by what came before
That every choice we make creates a new nexus of possibility
And every action we take shapes a new pathway of history?

Do you believe that the future will be brighter?
That every problem has a solution that can take us forward
That every setback contains a lesson that makes us stronger
And every fear hides a dream that was conceived in love?

Do you believe that the earth can recover?
That the damage we’ve done does not preclude nature from healing
That every degraded field is an opportunity to rewild the land
And every polluted water body is an invitation to bring back life?

Do you believe that peace can return?
That acts of violence are a vicious cycle that can be broken
That every conflict is a maze of pain with a way out
And every aggression is a futile fight with our own shadow?

Do you believe that all people can thrive?
That yesterday’s deprivation does not prevent tomorrow’s fulfilment
That every injustice is a clarion call to take a stand
And every unmet need is fertile ground to seed innovation?

Do you believe that our children will proper?
That their beautiful lives are not shackled by our legacy of mistakes
That every challenge is a classroom to apply new learning
And every lifetime is a playground for fresh imagination?

Because if you believe, then a brighter future will dawn
If you believe, then the earth will recover and peace will return
If you believe, then people will thrive and our children will prosper
If you believe, then nothing – absolutely nothing – is impossible

If you believe, you will act to remake our world and reshape our future
If you believe, you will care enough to listen to the voices of change
If you believe, you will join together to harness the power of hope
But first you must believe, for all life begins as an audacious act of faith.

Wayne Visser © 2024

Book

Seize the Day: Favourite Inspirational Poems

This creative collection, now in its 3rd edition, brings together favourite inspirational poems by Wayne Visser. The anthology takes us on a journey through the peaks and troughs of life, celebrating the indomitable human spirit.. It includes many old favourites like “Poets Must Be” and “Chasing the Blue”, as well as brand new poems like “The Writer” and “Making Ripples”. Sages through the ages wisely say: / Carpe Diem – seize the dawning day / Oh, would that I could assuage that thirst / But the day conspires to seize me first! / With the hurry and scurry / Of home’s frantic flurry / And the hustle and bustle / Of work’s tangled tussle. Buy the paper book / Buy the e-book.

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Book of Changes

Part 1.

This is the time of transition
The rhyme of revision
On the cusp
Between dying and being reborn
The dawn of new light
The fight of contraction and deep breathing
Of conviction and deep grieving
On the cusp
Between pain and promise
The rhyme of rain and conflagration
This is the time of expectation

This is the moment of madness
The low point of sadness
On the fringe
Between chaos and new order
The border of old crumbling ways
The maze of fear and deep division
Of hollow cheer and deep schism
On the fringe
Between lies and false prophets
The low point of political scoring
This is the moment of tribes warring

This is the song of soul searching
The long night of mind lurching
On the frontier
Between dogma and new paradigms
The bell chimes of dire warning
The yawning questions of deep reflection
Of poignant lessons for deep inflection
On the frontier
Between scouting and getting lost
The long night of struggling to cope
This is the song of faith and hope

Part 2.

This is the chasm of creation
The spasm of revelation
On the margin
Between black space and star-bursts
The universe like petals unfolding
The moulding of myths and deep reality
Of rippling riffs of deep gravity
On the margin
Between the void and seminal sparks
The spasm of pregnant desires
This is the chasm of forging fires

This is the time of transformation
The mime of mesmerisation
On the brink
Between cursing and spell invoking
The stoking of existential rage
The age of collapse and deep adaptation
Of relapse and deep restoration
On the brink
Between falling and rising together
The mime of the river’s flow
This is the time of letting go

This is the book of changes
The look of strangers
On the fulcrum
Between inertia and tipping points
The slipping joints of bridges built
The guilt of ignorance and deep knowledge
Of silence and deep homage
On the fulcrum
Between clues and complex ciphers
The look of unlocked mysteries
This is the book of histories

Part 3.

This is the song of shapeshifting
The throng of masks lifting
On the lip
Between captive and running wild
The inner child of selfish choices
The voices of instinct and deep hunger
Of eyes blinked and deep wonder
On the lip
Between hunting and invisible trails
The throng of shadows under the moon
This is the song without a tune

This is the moment of metamorphosis
The atonement for a life of bliss
On the edge
Between sleep and fresh awakening
The breaking in of unworn shoes
The blues of change and deep dreaming
Of sinister and deep scheming
On the edge
Between destruction and recreation
The atonement shedding of old skin
This is the moment for new life to begin

This is the time of transition
The crime of indecision
On the rim
Between breakdowns and breakthroughs
The fake news of puppets in power
The hour of crisis and deep meaning
Of thrown dices and deep greening
On the rim
Between extinction and regeneration
The prime of life’s vital virility
This is the time of possibility

Wayne Visser © 2024

Book

Seize the Day: Favourite Inspirational Poems

This unique collection brings together poems for positive action by poet and writer, Wayne Visser, providing inspiration for all those who a striving to change the world for the better. The anthology includes perennial favourites such as Be An Optimist, A Place to Thrive, Think on Business, To Lead, Giving Up, It’s Time, A Swirling Story, Because I Care, and, of course, Change the World (Parts 1 and 2), as well as more recent poems like A Butterfly Appeared, The Great Outdoors, and Letter to Earth. Buy the paper book / Buy the e-book.

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Stepping Up

If all you read are headlines, when the nights are long
And your days are crammed with deadlines, sometimes
The world can seem a gloomy place, a tired space
Of fighting and blighting and struggling to make ends meet,
Of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, and yet
In the midst of crises that show no signs of letting up
I see you stepping up, I see you getting up
And taking control of your life, I see you setting up
The conditions for success, patiently building a dream,
Knowing that each brick and beam is an investment,
A testament to hard work and foresight, to the light
Beyond the storm, to the calm beyond the chaos,
For there have always been hard times, and those
Who step up to the challenge, who manage to cope
Because their hope lies not in wishes but in action,
Who find traction in solutions, rather than being stuck
In the mire of problems and the wire of snares, who,
Like you, are stepping up and striding out and shining bright.

Wayne Visser © 2024

Book

Seize the Day: Favourite Inspirational Poems

This creative collection, now in its 3rd edition, brings together favourite inspirational poems by Wayne Visser. The anthology takes us on a journey through the peaks and troughs of life, celebrating the indomitable human spirit.. It includes many old favourites like “Poets Must Be” and “Chasing the Blue”, as well as brand new poems like “The Writer” and “Making Ripples”. Sages through the ages wisely say: / Carpe Diem – seize the dawning day / Oh, would that I could assuage that thirst / But the day conspires to seize me first! / With the hurry and scurry / Of home’s frantic flurry / And the hustle and bustle / Of work’s tangled tussle. Buy the paper book / Buy the e-book.

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Fifty-Three

The taper of time glimmers and burns
Flaring and fluttering
Spitting and sputtering
While the spectre of space shimmers and churns
Foaming and fomenting
Reeling and relenting

And at the gnarly nexus of time and space
I must seize my moment and take my place
My light may shine bright, or dim as a glow
My path may lead straight, or bend like a bow
Still I’ll pass on the flame, keep on planting a tree
I’ll be part of the change – crack the code fifty-three

The days of the year have trickled and surged
Etching and eroding
Fulfilled and foreboding
While the ways of the past are kindled and purged
Melting and misfiring
Inking and inspiring

And at the fateful fulcrum of future and past
I must battle with ghosts and fight for what lasts
My sword may be blunt, or sharp as my fear
My feet may be slow, or swift as a deer
Still I’ll give it my best, with those stood beside me
I’ll step into the breach – bear the flag fifty-three

The trails of the sun have burnished and honed
Luring and languishing
Vexing and vanquishing
While the voices of doubt have whispered and moaned
Chastening and chattering
Niggling and nattering

Still the taper keeps burning, my days trickle by
The spectre keeps churning, new ways kindle fire
The nexus keeps seeding, my fulcrum is poised
The sun-trails are leading, new voices bring joys
I’ll give thanks for the love, and be all I can be
There’s a road-trip ahead – up on route fifty-three

Wayne Visser © 2023

Book

Life in Transit: Favourite Travel & Tribute Poems

This creative collection, now in its 2nd edition, brings together travel and tribute poems by Wayne Visser. The anthology pays tribute to the likes of Nelson Mandela, Maya Angelou, Barack Obama, Antoni Gaudí & Leonardo da Vinci, and reflects on travels ranging from China and South Africa to Ecuador and Russia. Life is lived in the in-between / In transit / Between coming and going / Between staying and moving on / Between here and there / And what we call home / What we call settled or contented / Is merely a resting place / A station for refuelling / A nexus for reconnecting / A junction for changing direction. Buy the paper book / Buy the e-book.

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Right Action, Right Mind

The older I get, the more I find
That I am gentle with myself; not blind
To my mistakes, but more forgiving,
More wise about the purpose of living

For life is not a race to win or lose
It’s more about walking in our own shoes
And it’s not an exam to pass or fail
It’s more about weaving our unique tale

The older I get, the more I see
That changing the world starts inside of me
For life invites us to care, to be kind
As the Buddha says: right action, right mind.

Wayne Visser © 2023

Book

String, Donuts, Bubbles and Me: Favourite Philosophical Poems

This creative collection, now in its 3rd edition, brings together philosophical poems by Wayne Visser. In this anthology, he muses on subjects ranging from space, angels and destiny to time, science and meaning in life. According to scientists / The world’s made of string / That buzzes and fuzzes / Or some such strange thing / It’s also a donut / That curls round a hole / With middles and riddles / Just like a fish bowl / And there’s no mistaking / It’s more than 3-D / With twenty or plenty / Dimensions unseen / Still others insist / It’s really a bubble / That’s popping and bopping / Through the lenses of Hubble. Buy the paper book / Buy the e-book.

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I Like to Move It

Nothing comes to those who stand still
For life is a dance of changes
A puzzle that rearranges
Shaped by the power of our will

It’s not that we are in control
Or that we reach our every dream
Still we must paddle in the stream
If we’re to move towards our goal

That means we have to take a chance
And trust that we can make it work
There is no time to slack or shirk
Or give our fears a second glance

This is true, though I can’t prove it
Stand still long enough and you’re dead
For as a wise lemur once said:
“I like to move it, move it!”

Wayne Visser © 2023

Book

Seize the Day: Favourite Inspirational Poems

This creative collection, now in its 3rd edition, brings together favourite inspirational poems by Wayne Visser. The anthology takes us on a journey through the peaks and troughs of life, celebrating the indomitable human spirit.. It includes many old favourites like “Poets Must Be” and “Chasing the Blue”, as well as brand new poems like “The Writer” and “Making Ripples”. Sages through the ages wisely say: / Carpe Diem – seize the dawning day / Oh, would that I could assuage that thirst / But the day conspires to seize me first! / With the hurry and scurry / Of home’s frantic flurry / And the hustle and bustle / Of work’s tangled tussle. Buy the paper book / Buy the e-book.

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