A message to the nature hating bastards

In my previous post – Something feels...off... 5.4.25 – I wrote that I was going to take my foot off the gas for a bit, rest up and take some time to reflect ahead of what I feel is going to be a heavy summer. I’d like to reassure my readers that I’m not throwing the towel in – all I want to do is look after myself to be as ready as possible for what’s coming.

A fair sized part of that process is taking long walks in the surrounding countryside. Walking across the fields, through the woods, taking in the views and enjoying the way spring is transforming the landscape is doing wonders for my state of mind. Getting closer to nature is a boost to mental health. As is getting away from the screens, the ‘news’ agenda, the rage baiting, the divide and rule merchants and all of the other crap that comes with life in the 21^st century.

The best part about all of this is that it’s free. The only thing that isn’t free is the end of the walk drink at our adopted riverside local pub:)

The thing is, the bastards who presume to rule over us, and the banksters and corporations they serve, hate the idea of anyone getting closer to nature in their local countryside, and taking time out to think and reflect on what’s really important in this life. We have the misfortune to have rulers that can only measure our worth by how much we contribute to their cherished bottom line. This is something I’ve reflected upon in a couple of recent(ish) posts:

Nature hating government gives green light to the Lower Thames Crossing 26.03.25

The Labour government exists to serve their corporate masters while we, the populace, have to suck up the consequences. Even if those consequences destroy the environment, take out productive farmland and damage human health, physical and mental. We’re forced to live in an increasingly stress inducing society, where wanting to take time out to reconnect with nature and heal, is viewed as an abhorrent aberration by a government whose only concern is boosting the bottom line for their corporate masters.

Is mental health now an acceptable target for demonisation? 15.01.25

We also live in a world that has increasingly lost touch with nature. This is a process that started with the Industrial Revolution and has been accelerating since then. When we lose touch with nature, we start to lose touch with who we really are. Disassociation with the natural world that supports us and worryingly, disassociation from our bodies, can only lead to a dystopian future where you have to fit in with the high tech matrix just to survive. Which raises the question - just what are we surviving for?

My response to these nature hating psychopaths is a poetic one, as follows:

This wood is my sanctuary

When the world grinds me down, I come to this wood for solace
I come to hear the rustle of the breeze in the trees
I come to feel the calming, protective presence of the trees
I come to restore my balance so I can face the world again

The bastards hate the idea of sanctuary, calm and reflection
They hate it when it comes for gratis, no money required
They want us working, stressing, spending, spending...spending...
They hate us retreating from their sordid world into the woods

I come to this wood, to escape, think, reflect and wonder
The bastards don’t want us escaping, thinking or reflecting
As for wonder, the nature hating, soulless bastards despise it
All because it adds nothing to the bottom line they worship

You could almost pity them for their shallowness...almost...
But, I can’t pity the bastards who would destroy what I love
They can’t comprehend anything with a deeper meaning
They fear and loathe the secrets of life the wood could tell them

This wood is a web of life, richer than they can ever understand
This wood has a spirit and a presence they can never understand
When the stress of modern life crushes my spirit and soul
This wood is my sanctuary, my salvation, my muse and inspiration

There’s this as well regarding a physical reconnection with nature, something those who presume to rule over us not only have no understanding of – it’s also something they would absolutely abhor:

The old oak in the woods

On a bright Spring day, the two of us came to these woods
We came seeking escape from the madness of the world
We came seeking connection with nature that would heal us
And...we came seeking re-connection with each other 

We stopped at the old oak to rest awhile under her boughs
We looked at her twisted, gnarled branches and trunk in wonder
We wondered about the history she has seen over the years
And all of the wisdom she has gathered in that time

We touched her bark and branches, seeking connection
We felt a calming energy that brought us together
We felt the cares of the world lift from our shoulders
Restored, we slowly walked away, thankful for her presence

We’re in an existential battle as to what it means to be truly human in a world run by soulless techno-fascists. A big part of what that means is reconnecting with, and being a part of nature. It also means a sense of belonging to community, place and the environment that sustains us. Thankfully, this is something that is taking place… Leaving on an optimistic note, this is happening in the region we live in: Taking action for the Avon 9.4.25. I’ll leave you with these words from We Are Avon in The Thriving Avon Charter:

We are each invited to become a guardian of the Avon — whether you’re a swimmer, farmer, artist, dog walker, or dreamer. This is a movement of many hands, hearts, and voices, working together to restore the soul of this land through care for its waters.