A Prayer

Let me, O Nature, feel thy peace,
Bring me refreshment in silence sweet;
Each sunrise a balm, each breeze a release—
With life in me, endless pursuits to meet.

In wild places, in solitude grace,
Let whispering winds be the voice that I hear;
In rustling leaves, in this vast, open space,
Let me find strength to quell every fear.

Wrap me in beauty, unfold my soul,
In nature’s arms, I desire to be still;
With mountains and valleys, the heavens extol—
A gentle reminder of love’s greater will.

— John Muir

• John Muir