What We Need Is Here, by Wendell Berry

Horseback on Sunday morning,
harvest over, we taste persimmon
and wild grape, sharp sweet
of summer's end. In time's maze
over fall fields, we name names
that rest on graves. We open
a persimmon seed to find the tree
that stands in promise,
pale, in the seed's marrow.
Geese appear high over us,
pass, and the sky closes. Abandon,
as in love or sleep, holds
them to their way, clear
in the ancient faith: what we need
is here. And we pray, not
for new earth or heaven, but to be
quiet in heart, and in eye,
clear. What we need is here.

The poem "Wild Geese", From Selected Poems of Wendell Berry.

Seed Questions for Reflection

How do you relate to the wisdom of "what we need is here?" Can you share a story of a time you came in touch with your truest reality through what was in front of you? How do you develop the eyes to see the deepest reality in front of you?

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Add Your Reflection

16 Past Reflections

Allen Goulder

Feb 26, 2025

Just lost a dear friend
WILD GEESE helped. He was a friend of Watty Logan

Helen Francis

Oct 22, 2023

If you haven’t done so already, do a YouTube search for the choral composition of this poem, Here, by Joan Szymko. I had the privilege of singing this piece under her direction with Aurora Chorus in 2019. This is a lush and moving piece of music.

HOWDY BILL

Oct 17, 2023

almost always do a read again of poetry. special grab is the ''real'' of the last line. What we need is here.. Ahhhh

Michaela Darrington

Feb 9, 2023

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Oct 3, 2022

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Carolyn Jackson

Jun 5, 2022

This is not the poem called "What we Need is Here"
"Wild Geese" is a Mary Oliver poem. Please correct

Karen

Mar 2, 2021

Agree with poem starting with "...Geese appear" & printing all words. For refelection the following: Developing a mindful awakeness in every moment. It is a "knowing trust", but it is honed and developed over time and through experience.. It is unlearning old habits that can "steal our inner peace" Like the perssimon seed that holds the promise of a tree... Noticing it and letting the thought flow to other elements and back to geese on high whose ancient faith takes them to familiar places each year in their migratory flight. We can rest in "abandon as in sleep"... That what we need is here... If we awake to each moment and respond to it and one another, rather than to simply quickly react. Reaction (if merely done fast) can take important lessons from us, rather than teach us deeper, yet known ways... Again, what we need is here... I am still battling with "being fully present each moment". Whem I am, it brings immence peace and in... View full comment

Carol A Tyx

Jan 17, 2020

This is a lovely poem with a seemingly simple surface that takes us to a much deeper place. I love the question How do you develop the eyes to see the deepest reality in front of you? The practice of learning to pay attention--sounds easy but isn't.

The poem as printed here as a few errors, words omitted. As a poet myself, I would urge the posters of this blog to take care to print texts as they have been written.

Suzanne

Nov 24, 2019

I have also seen this poem beginning with "Geese appear high over us.." I think I prefer it.

Michael Burke

Sep 22, 2019

I need help understanding the lines in Wendell Berry‘s poem the wild geese: “Geese appear high over us, pass, and the sky closes. Abandon, as in love or sleep,holds them to their way,clear, in the ancient faith:what we need is here. “
It’s the use of the word abandon that puzzles me. Are the geese abandoning us? Or is abandon Used to express the fleetingness of reality and it all we have is the present moment?

mike Oct 13, 2019

Abandon as in "with abandon," "reckless abandon," etc. Meaning to do something almost passively or instinctively, without thinking about what you are doing. E.g. with love or sleep, if you try to think about what you are doing, it won't happen at all - you just have to let nature take it's course.

Mar 23, 2016

I hear you ... I pray.

david doane

Mar 20, 2016

Past and future are imagination. Only the present is alive. Living and dying are happening right now, and what I need is here and now. The challenge is to be present, be responsive here and now to myself, to those I am relating to, and to the world I'm in. The only time I've come in touch with my truest reality is through being present to what was in me, in front of me, and around me, sharing and operating out of what I am experiencing. When I've done that in relating to others, the experience is rich. I develop the eyes to see the deepest reality by practicing being present. Spending time with someone who is good at being in the present was of great help to me in developing the eyes to see deeper..

me Mar 21, 2016

I just watched "The Bucket List" (movie) earlier this evening. It spoke to what you speak of here. All we have is this moment. How will we use it? What we need is here ... and for this depth I am most thankful! Gifts ... everyone!

Abhishek

Mar 18, 2016

Being clear in eye
Ah! that is surely worth praying for
Because I have eyes upon eyes upon eyes
Lenses upon lenses
Filters on filters...

In fleeting moments
I'm stripped of them
By a sharp sweet wild grape
And I glimpse raw reality
Uncut by words
Uncoloured by "me"

Each time I tried
To develop those eyes
I loaded with more and more
already-always "seeings"
But in rest and surrender
A rude shock of love comes
Sweeps me off my feet...
And tells me all I need is here

Michael Burke, OP Sep 22, 2019

I think that’s a beautiful reflection and Berry’s poem; a poem in itself.