The Old Wisdom

 

When the night wind makes the pine trees creak
And the pale clouds glide across the dark sky,
Go out my child, go out and seek
Your soul: The Eternal I.

For all the grasses rustling at your feet
And every flaming star that glitters high
Above you, close up and meet
In you: The Eternal I.

Yes, my child, go out into the world; walk slow
And silent, comprehending all, and by and by
Your soul, the Universe, will know
Itself: the Eternal I.

—Jane Goodall (1934-2025; poem written March 2014)

[Posted in tribute to Jane Goodall's exemplary life of integrity, curiosity, research, and advocacy].