Wendell Berry, 1934-2026

An exemplary American and true citizen of the world has completed a long admirable and memorable life and gone back to spirit which will not be unknown territory for him as he honored Creator Heavenly Source from the  beginning to the end of his life,

Wendell Berry, farmer, father, author, poet, social justice activist, defender of life, land, love and community and sovereignty of the human spirit.

He was my contemporary so the same generation with an innate ambient trust in life values and virtues and of land based, faith based values and community  that surrounded us as children. Real life consciousness informed his upbringing as it did mine. Real purposeful life was not severed from our reality and humanity in those days but was immediate and  necessary to learn and know how to creatively and  basically survive and purposely to be part of the larger Family of Life.  And more over to love our path and opportunities to be a needed, self confident part of the fabric of life and community. As an aspiring veterinary in college and rancher here for many years  living on the land, knowing and loving the land was foundational for us to be connected to nature and life.

Wendell warned against the forces promising to eliminate physical work for the earth through devices and machines, the Lie that "War  and violence create Peace and with iron focused accuracy called out to the dark and evil seducers of our souls in these times to ensnare us into a disassociated false cyberworld where we are merely faceless (or AI digitally identified state controlled data)  as disposable widgets in the heartless machinery of our utterly fake world of AI transhumanism.

 LIke Wendell I was also led to fifty years of activism in defense of the land, the children, the community of the very sacred core of life. We shared the  knowing life needs to be grounded in and manifest through those individuals who truly loves the earth, and the divine word of holy inspiration, the thought of God  or call on the Great Divine Creator, Christ,Sophia and the angels, and truly love the work in service or creating the good beautiful and true in  real world work and deeds.  His own father in simple humble words gave gratitude for his long good life and its origin from God. My ever supportive beloved father told me you have to train yourself to be happy.  Family maxims modeled for me by my stalwart parents "make people glad you came with your cheerful  good will and deeds when you are in their homes and always  have open hospitality in our own.   Whereever you go see what needs to be done and  do it'.'

We thrived in an atmosphere of creativity, real work and out door  freedom  and took for granted and accepted such life long sustaining disciplines in those times. The warmth of  that  bestowed ethic and blessing  in childhood warms and enlivens my old age today.

Wendell was highly educated by any standard, -university degrees in English. He taught as a college professor but more than that he was truly "educated "in  ethics  real work the blood in his veins and  family genes from generations of land loving  and  and honoring home place  ancestors.  Being southern stock no doubt some was once plantation land but he transformed that land and place connection with his universality and true honoring of all people. Farm boy Abraham Lincoln had such connections as well.

Wendell Berry stood in  reverence before indigenous wisdom and purveyors thereof, folk wisdom, salt of the earth wisdom, common sense and all permeated with good will and down home  earthy authentic American humor.  He walked his talk in the public square and using action of civil disobedience protest in the streets, and  his pen to write for human rights and justice, to recognize the full impact of technology including nuclear power on the living core of families ,communities and nation. And naming it ."Use  with caution full consciousness know the nature of the beast and the Evil that can work through it! " 

All while staunchly standing in full authenticity as a 'hands on' farmer and steward of the land.

Like our wonderful American, Will Rogers a century ago also a beloved American icon who was deeply land, place and community connected  The Cherokee blood of Will's valiant mother, America, flowed in his veins giving him deep authenticity to represent the nation with brilliant unmatchable warm humor and philosophy of good will that made him a beloved prophet and icon of the whole world!! One of our most influential universally beloved Americans in the nation's history!

 I surely do not disparage anyone trying to preserve their health by daily gym work outs today especially in the face of a food system  and environment that is deliberately poisoning us;  But I am sure Wendell and I both would share a sadness  that such enormous amounts of human physical energy self served in repetitious moves on machines is just evaporating away when this  huge quantity of  exertion  today could produce a glorious blossoming of community gardens and wholesome food while serving the Mother Earth and many community souls if applied there as well!

This poem  of Wendell Berry expresses the joy my husband Gordon and me, who with our capable family and friends built our  farm community  sanctuary retreat center  White Feather ranch  which we stewarded together for forty years. Now I strive to connect with those to continue our offerings in this healing  space where the coyote sings, the mourning doves at the thresholds of the day, dawn and evening  in such sweet comforting tones of cover lasting fidelity as mats for life and the setting sun glistens on pine needles and flecks of mica in the solid granite beneath us, Friendly stars that have inspired children's school classes for decades, glitter overhead in the night sky.  We have joyfully shared our sacred place with many and hope many more to come in future times, 

By such heart warming serendipity the maxims of Sustainable Community by Wendell Berry  were there on my piano along with my drawing of Grandma reveling in the harvest with the community and the beautiful art of a dear native soul sister  Maggie saying "Believe"  during the days he was passing into spirit.

A fitting altar in Wendell Berry's honor and all those sharing and carrying the spirit of love, land and community!

The Peace of Wild Things   Wendell Berry

When despair for the world grows in meand I wake in the night at the least soundin fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,I go and lie down where the wood drakerests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.I come into the peace of wild thingswho do not tax their lives with forethoughtof grief. I come into the presence of still water.And I feel above me the day-blind starswaiting with their light. For a timeI rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

Nancy Jewel Poer, September, 2026 White Feather Ranch