Whatever happens. Whatever
what is is is what
I want. Only that. But that.
Galway Kinnell
It seemed odd that a gaggle of wild Canadian geese was lolling around and grazing by a nearby pond in the late afternoon. Usually, they fly in early in the mornings and leave mid-afternoon. But today, they were peacefully moseying around, appearing content to be where they were.
“It’s full moon,” explained a friend who is a bird watcher when I shared my concern that the geese hadn’t left for the day. On a clear full moon day, geese often continue to feed under the moonlight. As the lunar cycle wanes, they return to their normal arrival and departure times.
Wild geese are best known for their v-shaped flight pattern, which allows them to effortlessly migrate thousands of miles to nesting and breeding ground. They move with loving synchronicity. The wing flap creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. When one is injured, another stays with it. They regularly change positions with the ones in back, encouragingly honking to the ones ahead.
Even with their amazing flying capacity, I was struck by the quiet presence of the geese along the shoreline. The sense of caring support that carries them across the sky was even noticeable on the ground. They moved together across the lawn, several bodies forming one graceful, unified movement. It is no wonder that they ascend to great heights.
The ability of the geese to seemingly be at peace reminded me of this poem entitled “Prayer” by Galway Kinnell. Perhaps it was because they were silent on the ground, attending to their needs, and nothing more. Most of nature is this way – following ancient patterns – where they only want to be that, just that. As humans, we are intrinsically woven into this natural fabric, yet we forget that we share the air, soil, sunlight, and waters with one another as well as multiple other species.
My father, who lived into his nineties, wisely began his days with a prayer to know the difference between his wants and his needs, and to take only what is needed, not more. Like most people in earlier generations, he had missed the escalation of the longings and wants that has been cultivated by the growing marketplace. Thus, his wants for material possessions were mostly work-related, leaving him freer to have ample room for laughter and interest in the stories of strangers.
I hope that Kinnell and my father are forever free to be like the geese and ascend to the loftiest heights. They are human reminders to look at the world around us and to listen to the messages that surround us in the everyday. We have the gift of this life to learn to know what we truly need and to live our lives accordingly – thus, living more harmoniously with all. That may not be as easy as it was for earlier generations, yet I am drawn to hold that as a daily aspiration. I hope you will join me.
Practice
This practice invites you to cultivate inner peace
- Preparation –
- Please find a comfortable seated position. If you are in a chair, please rest the soles of both feet on the floor.
- Invite awareness of your breath. Ask yourself, “How is my breath today?” There is no right or wrong; just observing how your breath feels today.
- If comfortable, softly close your eyes and allow the palms of your hands to relax upward on your thighs.
- Practice –
- Exhale. Just Breathe.
- With each inhale, silently say, “May I be peaceful. May I be joyful. May I be free.”
- With each exhale, silently say, “May I be peaceful. May I be joyful. May I be free.”
- Exhale. Continue with this saying eight to twelve times.
- Sit quietly for several minutes.
- Exhale. Just Breathe.
- Transition Back into Your Day –
- Bring your left palm over your heart center. Rest the right palm over the left. Silently say, “Thank You.”
- Reach the palms out to the sides of your body (palms upward) as though releasing the desire for peace, joy, and freedom out into the world.
- Bring the palms together in front of the heart in prayer position. Pause in silence for a few moments.
- Take your time returning to your day.
This poem is from Mala of Love: 108 Luminous Poems, page 110, edited by Ravi Nathwani and Kate Vogt, and published by New World Library. This is a re-post from 2018. H E A R T H is posted each full and new moon. KateVogt©2026.
