Michael Johnson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-johnson-800b8a17/
“Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in. I drink at it; but while I drink I see the sandy bottom and detect how shallow it is. Its thin current slides away, but eternity remains.”
― Walden or, Life in the Woods
― Walden or, Life in the Woods
“Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.”
― Walden and Other Writings
― Walden and Other Writings
“How I go to the wood
Ordinarily, I go to the woods alone, with not a single
friend, for they are all smilers and talkers and therefore
unsuitable.
I don’t really want to be witnessed talking to the catbirds
or hugging the old black oak tree. I have my way of
praying, as you no doubt have yours.
Besides, when I am alone I can become invisible. I can sit
on the top of a dune as motionless as an uprise of weeds,
until the foxes run by unconcerned. I can hear the almost
unhearable sound of the roses singing.
If you have ever gone to the woods with me, I must love
you very much.”
― Swan: Poems and Prose Poems
Ordinarily, I go to the woods alone, with not a single
friend, for they are all smilers and talkers and therefore
unsuitable.
I don’t really want to be witnessed talking to the catbirds
or hugging the old black oak tree. I have my way of
praying, as you no doubt have yours.
Besides, when I am alone I can become invisible. I can sit
on the top of a dune as motionless as an uprise of weeds,
until the foxes run by unconcerned. I can hear the almost
unhearable sound of the roses singing.
If you have ever gone to the woods with me, I must love
you very much.”
― Swan: Poems and Prose Poems
“In a universe devoid of life, any life at all would be immensely meaningful. We ARE that meaning. “And what we see, “says the poet Mary Oliver, “is the world that cannot cherish us, but which we cherish.” As though life itself is the great, universal, unrequited love of all time. But there is even more to this. Deep mystery. We are the universe aware of itself. We let the miracle get lost in distractions. On a planet so rich with living companions, much of humanity sentences itself to solitary confinement. Late at night, I used to lie in my boat listening to radio calls from ships to families ashore. There was only one conversation, and it boils down to, “I love you and I miss you: come home safe.” Connections make us individuals. Ironic, isn’t it? The more connected, the more unique our life becomes…”
― The View from Lazy Point: A Natural Year in an Unnatural World
― The View from Lazy Point: A Natural Year in an Unnatural World
Environmental Book Club
— 831 members
— last activity Nov 05, 2025 07:35AM
A global community of eco-enthusiasts reading books with an environmental theme every 2 months. We made this group to educate ourselves about the int ...more
Literature & Nature Reading Group
— 20 members
— last activity Jan 02, 2026 09:40PM
A reading group for those of us who love great writing about nature— In this group, we read one book monthly, fiction or nonfiction, connected to the ...more
Michael’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Michael’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
Favorite Genres
Art, Ebooks, Music, Non-fiction, Philosophy, Poetry, Psychology, Religion, Science, Self help, Spirituality, Travel, Nonfiction, nature, photography, arts, solitude, and silence. writing
Polls voted on by Michael
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