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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Radical Activist

You call me a radical activist
Condemning my actions as touting extremes
No doubt there’s a need for instruction
For it’s high praise, if you know what it means

What else should I be, if not radical
For radical means to go back to the roots
A farmer begins by preparing the earth
And seeding the soil, in time, brings new shoots

You call me a radical activist
For sourcing the problem or ultimate cause
No doubt it results in disruption
Or blocking and breaking unjustified laws

And what else should I be, if not active
(I’ll be passive enough when I’m done and dead)
The world needs a shake-up to wake it
And the legacy ways, like leaves, must be shed

You call me a radical activist
And I thank you kindly for this accolade
No doubt it’s the path of construction
Of shaping and shifting – our future remade

Wayne Visser © 2023

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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Nature Positive

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.

Wayne Visser © 2023

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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Letter to Earth

Dear Earth

I have some things I’d like to say, things I need to get off my chest
But feelings can be tricky, so I thought that pen and paper’s best
I’m writing you this letter, to explain myself, as best I can
And, not to spoil the surprise, but I’m just about your biggest fan

Part 1. I See You

If you were our mother, I wonder, would you be proud or sad?
Would you see our kindness, the good in our hearts, and be glad?
Would you rejoice in what we’ve achieved, the lessons that we’ve learned?
And what of the chances we’ve squandered, the bridges that we’ve burned?

I want to say: I see you!
Though, in truth, at times I close my eyes
For what we humans do sometimes makes me quite ashamed
We have inflicted our ugliness, peddled our lies
I only hope that what’s been lost still can be regained

I see your beauty, and how you have been scarred
Your jungles cut, your mountains mined, your grasslands charred
I see your bounty, and how you have been scammed
Your creatures killed, your airways choked, your rivers jammed

I want to say: I see you!
Your emerald forests and umber sands
Your sapphire oceans and azure skies
Your mountain peaks and frozen lands
Your coves and caves where mystery lies

Part 2. I Hear You

If you were our father, I wonder, would you be calm or mad?
Would you cherish our resilience, stand by our actions, good and bad?
Would you relish the battles we’ve fought, no matter if we lost or won?
And what of the havoc we’ve unleashed, the destruction that we’ve spun?

I want to say: I hear you!
Though, in truth, at times I block my ears
For what we people do sometimes leaves me quite disturbed
We have amplified our noisiness, trumpeted our fears
I only hope that what’s been hushed can one day be reheard

I hear your melody, and how you have been muted
Your chorus stifled, your voice muffled, your wisdom refuted
I hear your symphony, and how it turns to silence
Your songs distorted, your cries ignored, your peace met with violence

I want to say: I hear you!
Your singing whales and tweeting birds
Your shrieking storms and sighing breeze
Your howling wolves and grunting herds
Your roaring lions and creaking trees

Part 3. I’m Sorry

If you were our child, I wonder, would you be happy or furious?
Would you look forward to your future with bright unbridled hope?
Would you be carefree, would you play, would you be curious?
And would you understand our folly when you’re struggling to cope?

I want to say: I’m sorry!
Though, in truth, at times I seal my lips
For what our leaders do sometimes, I have to say, I hate it
We have taken your wild places and turned them into tips
I only hope that what’s been spoiled can be rejuvenated

I feel your disappointment and how you’ve been neglected
Your land poisoned, your seas polluted, your biodiversity affected
I feel your melancholy and how you’ve been degraded
Your wetlands drained, your corals bleached, your living treasures raided

I want to say: I’m sorry!
For being so careless with your gift of life
For being so selfish with my unquenchable need
For being so childish with my endless strife
For being so callous with my insatiable greed

Part 4. I Love You

If you were our deity, I wonder, would you be angry or forgiving?
Would you give us another chance; another chance at living?
Would you want us to carry on, or rather wipe the slate all clear?
And would you be willing to help us, teach us; would you hold us dear?

I want to say: I love you!
Though, in truth, at times I harden my heart
For what we humans do sometimes makes us undeserving
We’ve cut so many sacred strands and torn your web apart
I only hope we’ll realise your life is worth preserving

I love your wholeness, and how you manage to survive
Your vitality, your diversity, your myriad ways to thrive
I love your openness, and how you reach up for the skies
Your buds in spring, your blooming flowers, your elusive butterflies

I want to say: I love you!
Your kaleidoscope of colours, your infinity of shapes
Your secrets of the helix code and evolution’s tree
Your everchanging seasons, the patterns weather makes
Your puzzle of creation, and maze paths to be free

P.S.

I had these things to say, so I’ve written you this letter
Though now I realise, I wrote it more for me than you
I wrote to say how much I care, and that I’ll do much better
And if I’m not mistaken, I think that maybe you care too

Lots of love
Your Great Admirer

Wayne Visser © 2023

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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