Write Your Story: Terry Tempest Williams
Presented by the Leopold Writing Program in partnership with the Santa Fe International Literary Festival.
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“Finding beauty in a broken world is creating beauty in the world we find... To be whole. To be complete. Wildness reminds us what it means to be human, what we are connected to rather than what we are separate from.”
― Terry Tempest Williams, Finding Beauty in a Broken World What is a recent experience of wildness you’ve had that has moved you?
Describe the wildness in you that reminds you of your connectedness to the world. Share your answer with others in line or write your thoughts here. |
Submissions
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To Be Wild is to Love Freely
Amrit Kallar May 16, 2025 To be wild is to love freely, without shame, like an animal. There was once an old, blind dog that would bark incessantly as my four year old daughter dribbled a rebounding basketball on the road on our street. Each bounce brought with it a clang from the road, reverberating with the metal chunks that lay hidden under the surface of the black tar. Each bounce also brought with it an accompanying bark- a scruffy, hearty, bellowing bark. Until one day when the dog died. My daughter looks up to the sky to see if buddy is looking down from up there, maybe even waving at her. Ten years past, she now knows what it is to be wild. To be wild is to love freely like buddy did - without shame, naked. To love is to have let her pet him, despite the blinding approach from top of an errant over-enthusiastic, disorienting, rough ruffle. To love is to bellow aloud, clamor to be included in the play every single time since then and wait till the end of your days, steadfast as the wilderness. May
Santa Fe May 18, 2025 Kathleen Blair The children of cottonwoods first learn to fly born to the wind before rooting. White flurries drifting upwards, not down, on a breath or the footsteps of coyotes. Cottonwood snow returning to clouds are dreams cast into the future. Seeds fall to earth, so stony and dry, seeking the pathways of water. The voice of the wind will dance in their leaves, singing and calling the rain down. |
My Home
Harold Bruker May 16, 2025 My home sits 3/10 if a mile from the Mississippi River along The Great River Road. At this point north of Alton IL the Bluffs are around 200ft above the river and my home is behind them through one if the few gaps for about 20 miles. With very few homes spread out over 150 acres or so, nature is always about. Sightings of eagle, deer, bobcat, fox and a stunning variety of woodpecker along with raucous Coyote parties are common occurrence. Imagine my surprise to find a fresh 18inch 5 pound catfish laying in my backyard. Common sense would suggest an eagle or other bird of prey, who’s eyes were bigger than its stomach, snatched our friend from the river before losing its grip over my house. Or the Mafia has finally caught up with me. K MacPhail
May 18, 2025 Camping in the Rocky Mountains - observing the Milky Way - we are only one of many. |
