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?

 

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[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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The Earth Turns

The Earth turns
Each year brings change
The sea churns
Each wave seeds rains
The mind learns
Each thought plays games
The heart yearns
Each beat sparks flames

A love that’s lost can reappear
A hidden face can be revealed
A soul that’s hurt can turn from fear
A sacred scroll can be unsealed

The world spins
Each day brings light
The path twists
Each boon or blight
The stream flows
Each ripple bright
The dawn sings
Each wish takes flight

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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Rise in the Darkness

I rise in the darkness
So that I may know the beauty of dawn
And appreciate the joy of daylight

And when, in the night, I cannot sleep
I listen to the soothing wisdom of poets
And conjure the spells of magicians

I wander in cold solitude
So that I may feel the glow of home’s hearth
And celebrate the warmth of friends

And when, in the wilderness, I am lost
I sing the ancient songs of the land
And dance to the rhythm of nature

I move in the sunshine
So that I may be in sync with time’s passing
And forget the vast stillness of space

And when, in the day, I cannot wake
I rally to the cry of revolutionaries
And shake myself from the coma of routine

I tremble with fevered passion
So that I might long for calm quietude
And value the emptiness of mind

And when, in spring, I cannot rest
I gather the secrets of flowers
And dream the whispered sighs of autumn

I rise in the darkness
So that I may know the kiss of waking
And appreciate the gift of being alive.

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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Travel Far

As you travel far and venture wide
Expect the tide to ebb and flow, the ride
Of life won’t always go the way you want
And though you may not know the reasons why
Yet still you must try and fail and try again
For when you learn to rise and fall
To compromise your dreams and go on dreaming
You will find that life rewards you
In unexpected ways, on days when you are down
When the road is tough and you’ve had enough
You will win, because life’s just like that
It’s fickle, when it’s not a flood it’s a trickle
And you must navigate the twists and turns
The chills and burns, and the longer you do
The stronger you get, you let life teach you
As you learn to be lost and follow your star
As you venture wide and travel far.

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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Change the World – Part 2

Let’s change the world, let’s move it
Let’s chance it and free dance it
Let’s feel its sliding rhythms
The echoes of its rhymes
The calling of our times
With signs of stars aligning
With mimes of joy and madness
Of syncopated sadness
Because we bend, because we tend
To lose the beat, then find it
To live life forward, not rewind it
Let’s stamp our feet, link arms and say:
We’ll change the world today!

Let’s change the world, let’s invoke it
Let’s weave it and conceive it
Let’s sing our songs of freedom
The myths of heroes’ quests
The trial-by-fire tests
With rests to ease our struggle
With crests that draw us onward
Because we roam, because we’ve shown
With tears and wide-eyed wonder
These days are not for squander
Let’s choose our narrative to say:
We changed the world today!

Let’s change the world, let’s heed it
Let’s hear it and not fear it
Let’s place our finger on life’s pulse
Where mountain rivers flow
Where ancient forests grow
We know, for elders tell us
We grow by seeing what can be
Because within we find our jinn
And rub each deep desire
From sparks into bright flames of fire
Let’s wish for every chance to say:
I changed the world today!

Wayne Visser © 2022

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-Two

The year began in buoyant mood
A welcome changing of the guard
But dark clouds soon began to brood
And when it came, the rain fell hard

With COVID’s armies in retreat
New battle lines were being drawn
With every victory comes defeat
The deepest calm’s before the storm

The fallen king clung to his throne
His rabble swarmed the hallowed hill
A desperate dog without his bone
Defiant of the people’s will

Then came the bitter toll of war
As lives and livelihoods were lost
The greed of wanting ever more
We count the countless human cost

The spring still spread its carpet bloom
Then summer struck with scorching heat
The autumn leaves fell much too soon
Then winter lay her frozen sheet

We must act now, it’s not too late
We must do more than just survive
To help the world regenerate
To help all life to grow and thrive

Despite it all, life carries on
I’m grateful that we made it through
Each day of love’s a victory won
I fall and rise at fifty-two

Wayne Visser © 2022

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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Not What You See

I am not what you see
Whether ugly or beautiful
Fabulous or forgettable
In your eyes

This visage is a mirage
A mishmash of random genes
A splish-splash of changing scenes
A laughable disguise

I am not what I seem
Whether strong or pathetic
Uninteresting or magnetic
In your unseeing

This mystery is a history
A storm-form of wild schemes
A whirl-swirl of bright dreams
A brilliant being

Wayne Visser © 2022

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 Miss You

It’s not that I am lost or lonely
Or have no ways to fill my days
It’s just that I would like to kiss you
That is to say, I miss you

It’s not that I am tired or tearful
Or have no sky in which to fly
It’s just that I recall the bliss you
Bring my nights, I miss you

It’s not that I am dazed or dreamy
Or have no star to reach afar
It’s just that I’m in love and wish you
Here with me, I miss you.

Wayne Visser © 2022

Book

Icarus: Favourite Love Poems

This creative collection, now in its 2nd edition, brings together love poems by Wayne Visser. The anthology traces love’s agony (“Broken Dreams”) and ecstasy (“Galaxies Cart-Wheeling”), from first blush (“Almost Strangers”) to full bloom (“Say ‘I Do!’”), as we fly to love. You’ve given me the gift of golden wings / The endless sphere of blue imaginings / The chance to rise above the silver clouds / The will to cast off untold ghostly shrouds / Don’t fly too high / Don’t rise too fast / Don’t tease the sky / Don’t taunt the past / You’ve given me the hope of warmer days / The blessed kiss of the sun’s fiery rays. Buy the paper book / Buy the e-book.

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Race of our Lives

We are in the race of our lives
Whether or not we know it, running slow or fast
While time, our enduring opponent
Is patient, plodding, turning the future into the past

And we, like the hare of our folktales
Dart hither and thither, diverted and delighted
Rushing from moment to fleeting moment
Beyond the narrow track, the finish line unsighted

We are in the race of our lives
Though we may linger, and languish, and squander
As if we have all the breath in the world
And it matters not how we live and where we wander

For we, unlike the tortoise of our sun’s daily march
Mistake speed for progress, and miles for meaning
Chasing each mirage, be it gain or glory or love
Straying from the course, distracted by our dreaming

We are in the race of our lives
Yet in the final strait, who cares how or where we ran
It matters only that we took part at all, and in the end
That we know ourselves better than when we began

Wayne Visser © 2022

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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Nature Positive

This track is embedded with the friendly permission by the creatives on wikiloops.com.
Nature Positive

It’s true, our world is on the brink
A species gone each time we blink
Each one another broken link
As oceans rise and nations sink

So much is lost, so much to mourn
So high the cost, so deep the scorn
Yet something new is being born
The blackest night precedes the dawn

Our time is short, we’re in a race
We must act now, pick up the pace
The simple truth we all must face
Is nature needs to take back space

Let’s let new life reseed and grow
Let woods come back and rivers flow
Rewild the land and seas and know
That nature thrives when we let go

Wayne Visser © 2022

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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Enigma

This track is embedded with the friendly permission by the creatives on wikiloops.com.
Enigma

Your life is a giant puzzle
A maze of mystery and secrets
But what are you searching for?
What is the code that needs cracking
At the heart of life’s enigma?

It’s about finding out what you like
And working hard to ensure
That it becomes what you’re good at
Because life’s too short and difficult
To be doing what you don’t like

It’s about finding out who you love
And taking care to ensure
That they remain your main priority
Because life’s too long and incredible
To be with anyone you don’t love

It’s about finding out who you are
And taking steps to ensure
That you love that person unconditionally
Because life’s too strange and precious
To be chasing someone else’s shadow

Your life is an epic expedition
A trail of valleys and summits
And what you are moving towards
What you are discovering along the way
Is an answer to life’s question

Wayne Visser © 2022

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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