“Tua h meaning people, meaning place”.
An Ecoc i ical Analysis o G ace Wells’s The Chu ch o he Lo e o he Wo ld.
"Tua h signi ica pe soas, signi ica luga ". Unha Análise Ecoc í ica do Poema io de G ace Wells The Chu ch o he Lo e o he Wo ld.
"Tua h signi ica pe sonas, signi ica luga ". Un Análisis Ecoc í ico del Poema io de G ace Wells The Chu ch o he Lo e o he Wo ld
Mº Rebeca Fe nández O ega
Ti o a: Manuela Palacios González
G ao en Lingua e Li e a u a Inglesas
T aballo de Fin de G ao
Cu so académico 2022-2023
“Tua h meaning people, meaning place”.
An Ecoc i ical Analysis o G ace Wells’s The Chu ch o he Lo e o he Wo ld.
"Tua h signi ica pe soas, signi ica luga ". Unha Análise Ecoc í ica do Poema io de G ace Wells The Chu ch o he Lo e o he Wo ld.
"Tua h signi ica pe sonas, signi ica luga ". Un Análisis Ecoc í ico del Poema io de G ace Wells The Chu ch o he Lo e o he Wo ld
Mº Rebeca Fe nández O ega
Ti o a: Manuela Palacios González
G ao en Lingua e Li e a u a Inglesas
T aballo de Fin de G ao
Cu so académico 2022-2023
Decla ación de o ixinalidade do aballo:
Eu, Mº Rebeca Fe nández O ega decla o solemnemen e que o p esen e TFG, i ulado ““Tua h
meaning people, meaning place”. An Ecoc i ical Analysis o G ace Wells’s The Chu ch o he
Lo e o he Wo ld”, é un aballo o ixinal ealizado po min baixo a supe isión e o ien ación
da miña i o a Manuela Palacios no ma co do p og ama de G ao en Lingua e Li e a u a
inglesas da Uni e sidade de San iago de Compos ela.
Decla o que odo o con ido p esen ado nes e TFG é o esul ado do meu p opio es o zo
in elec ual, baseado na miña in es igación e na consul a de on es académicas idedignas. As
ideas, análises, a gumen os e conclusións exp esadas aquí son p oduc o do meu aballo
pe soal e non o on p e iamen e p esen adas como pa e dou a ob a académica.
As e e encias bibliog á icas e ci as u ilizadas nes e TFG es án debidamen e iden i icadas e
a ibuídas aos seus espec i os au o es, seguindo as no mas de ci a e e e enciación
adecuadas. Todo o ma e ial u ilizado e odas as con ibucións dou os au o es o on
debidamen e ecoñecidos e ci ados.
Recoñezo que a iolación da hones idade académica e a p ác ica do plaxio son inacep ables e
es án suxei as a sancións disciplina ias segundo as polí icas e egulamen os da ins i ución
educa i a.
Po medio des a decla ación, asumo a esponsabilidade o al polo con ido e o ixinalidade
des e TFG.
Mº Rebeca Fe nández O ega. Da a: 19/06/2023
A mis he manas
y en memo ia de mis pad es.
(...) When we speak, we speak on he ou -b ea h,
bu mus i s d aw in he ine h eads o his Ea h.
Wha e e we speak o now,
we will need o be like blades o p ai ie g ass
ha bend in he wind o wha ’s coming.
Pe haps he only sensible hing would be
o howl, he way Eu ope’s las
wel e- housand wol es a e su ely howling- a sound
somewhe e be ween g ie and ba le-c y,
he ibes o us in his oge he , asked
o heed Eme son, and Ad ance.
Ad ance upon chaos and he da k.
G ace Wells
Con en s
1. In oduc ion.............................................................................................................................1
2. Ecopoe y, Ecoc i icism and Eco eminism, Pos colonial Ecoc i icism and Eco-spi i uali y: a
heo e ical appa a us................................................................................................................... 5
3. G ace Wells’s The Chu ch o he Lo e o he Wo ld............................................................15
3.2 All he winds said lea e..........................................................................................16
3.3 To bend like p ai ie g ass........................................................................................19
3.4 Ocean, cli and ide................................................................................................22
3.5 Wha he body holds............................................................................................... 26
3.6 Psalm.......................................................................................................................28
3.7 In wonde and in g ie .............................................................................................34
4. Conclusion............................................................................................................................ 39
Wo ks ci ed............................................................................................................. 42
Appendix………………………………………………………………………………………...44
1. In oduc ion
The aim o his disse a ion is o analyse G ace Wells’s hi d poe y collec ion The Chu ch o
he Lo e o he Wo ld. G ace Wells is an eco-poe and en i onmen al w i e bo n in London in
1968 bu who se led in I eland, Co Tippe a y, in 1991. Fo many yea s, he poe G ace Wells
has augh c ea i e w i ing classes and poe y wo kshops o people wi h special needs as well
as eme ging w i e s in I eland. In 2001, Wells was appoin ed Head o Li e a u e a Sou h
Tippe a y A s Cen e and was named Poe Lau ea e o Ennis ymon by Cla e Coun y Council
A s O ice and Poe y I eland in 2021. As well as w i ing ecopoe y and communica ing
abou he nume ous en i onmen al challenges, G ace Wells collabo a es and ecu en ly
olun ee s wi h Home ee, plan ing ees and suppo ing he p oduc ion o ecological w i ing.
Wells’s wo k has been awa ded se e al imes and well ecei ed in o he coun ies wi h
ansla ions in o Spanish, Galician and I alian. Dedalus P ess has published he poe y
collec ions, he mos ecen one in May 2022, The Chu ch o he Lo e o he Wo ld. Wells is
based in Ennis ymon, on he wes coas o I eland, whe e she ounded The Li le Sanc ua y, a
small e ea shel e , o es -ga den and na u e p ese e o people, c ea u es, and plan species.
Despi e he es ic ions and con inemen du ing he COVID-19 pandemic, Wells managed o
make sho eco-poe y ilms no only as a way o connec people h ough poe y bu also o
connec people o na u e. The objec i e was o o e come his dicho omy be ween na u e and
isola ion du ing his auma ic e en in 2020. This is impo an o men ion since mos o he
poems in his hi d collec ion we e p oduced unde hese condi ions, and as a esul , Wells’s
c ea i e w i ing inc eased du ing his pe iod. Wells has exp essed he en i onmen al
commi men wi h he ollowing wo ds: “As an eco-poe na iga ing he g ie s o
en i onmen al collapse, i ’s so help ul o belong o a communi y whe e people a e genuinely
wo king o hal I eland’s biodi e si y loss, and ac i ely c ea ing ini ia i es o help he coun y
become ca bon-neu al (Poe Lau ea e). He pu pose is o make people econnec wi h he
na u al wo ld in hese di icul imes o endange ed na u e. In he eco-poe y, she po ays a
sense o belonging h ough I ish s o ies and especially, an in e connec ed ela ionship
be ween na u e and human beings h ough his Gaelic wo d Tua h, which, acco ding o he
Ox o d English Dic iona y, means “‘ ibe’ o ‘people’ in I eland; hence, he e i o y o
dis ic o a ibe" (“Tua h.”). This sugges s ha “Tua h” mean he geog aphical e i o y as
well as he people who li ed in ha pa icula place. Wells in i es hese e hnic communi ies
in o he li e a y p oduc ion o e lec upon p imi i e s o ies ha a e in e wined wi h I ish
cul u e, and o ha e hem ask hemsel es: i his is you land, whe e is you s o y? As G ace
In explo ing he in ica e ela ionships be ween gende , ecology, and powe , eco eminism
b ings a en ion o he in e connec edness o he subjuga ion o women, indigenous peoples,
and he domina ion o he na u al wo ld. This c i ical pe spec i e p omp s a sc u iny o
pa ia chal powe in wo dis inc dimensions. As Flanne y a gues:
Eco eminism aises he issue o he s uc u al in e connec ion be ween he domina ion o women,
na i es and he domina ion o na u e. This leads o a c i ique o pa ia chal powe in wo speci ic
o ms: i s ly, he idea o p og ess, mode niza ion and de elopmen and, secondly, he dominan
no ions o science and echnology. Bo h o hem in ol e epis emic and physical iolence o e he
s uc u al ‘o he s’ and a e ela ed o he Eu opean Enligh enmen ideal o ‘ eason’. (59)
Eco eminism co ela es he exploi a ion o he Ea h wi h he domina ion o women and
b ings oge he espec o he Ea h as well as o women despi e being seen as di e en
ba les. Eco eminis s such as Vandana Shi a and Ma ia Mies ha e no ed ha mode n science
is no a wo ldwide and alue- ee con igu a ion o knowledge, and, hus, conside ha he
dominan scien i ic discou se is, in ac , a p ojec ion o Wes e n male alues. Mos o he
ideologies o enligh ene s such as Vol ai e and Rousseau lay on he p emise o he alue o
equali y, bu hey ac ually os e ed double s anda d mo ali y by applying hei p ac ices in
a ou o men. One o he main ene s o eco eminism is ha ‘women’ and ‘na u e' ha e been
concu en ly ‘o he ed’ and opp essed benea h pa ia chal capi alism.
Simila ly, Wells’s wo k shows ha bo h women and he en i onmen ha e been subo dina ed
and ep essed by he an h opocen ic way o li e ha humani y and pa ia chy ha e imposed
on hem. As a eminis and ecologis w i e , Wells indica es emale my hs o I ish
Goddesses and con as s hem wi h he colonise s who wan ed o ape and conque he land.
Simul aneously, Wells ad oca es o en i onmen al sus ainabili y o aid endange ed species
and p ese e na u al spaces in he wo ld.
Fu he mo e, Wells seems o i wi h Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, who po ays in he wo k an
in ima e ela ionship be ween woman and na u e embodied in he powe ul o m o Mo he
Ea h. As pos colonial poe y, bo h in i e he eade s in hei wo ks o obse e benea h he
su ace o he powe s uc u e by e u ning o ancien Cel ic adi ions and inding he o ce
ha women and na u e possessed in p ehis o y. The ancien no ion o he ‘G ea Mo he ’ does
no only ela e o he mo he igu e o na u e p o ec ing he c ea u es, auna and land, bu i
also en ails solu ions o heal he exis ing sepa a ion be ween human s nonhuman, ma e ial s
spi i ual, na u e s cul u e. Hence, he whole concep also unc ions as a help ul app oach
wi hin he amewo k o eco eminism.
Mo eo e , o he discou ses o eco eminism can in e sec wi h heo e ical no ions o
ansco po eali y and he eby pos humanism. These c i ical app oaches a emp o sub e he
exis ing duali ies and dicho omies among he human wo ld and he non-human wo ld by
opposing social no ms and an h opocen ic ends ha eside in an opp essi e en i onmen :
The appa en emphasis on co po eali y b ings such eco eminis discou se in o con e sa ion wi h
he ‘body poli ics’ o ea lie eminis in e en ions, and speci ically, his is e idenced in Alaimo’s
no ion o ansco po eali y’. Alaimo explici ly si es he ecoc i ical e hic wi hin he lineage o
eminis body poli ics, while in e sec ing wi h bo h Oppe mann’s and Io ino’s pos humanis
posi ion. Fo Alaimo, pa o he eco eminis p ojec is a eadiness o accep a diminu ion o
humani y’s agency, as she implici ly alludes o he delusional and des uc i e poli ics o a hub is ic
pa ia chal sys em. (Flanne y 62)
Alaimo’s ansco po eali y e o ques ions and seeks o o e h ow dual s uc u es ha eside
in he pa ia chal sys em. Acco ding o Alaimo, eminism posi s ha he emale body has
been exposed and ma ginalised below he in ellec in impo ance, and simul aneously
o e -insc ibed by he economic and mo al p ecep s dic a ed by pa ia chy. In his way, he
eco eminis c i ique akes i upon i sel o b oaden he cons i uency o he opp essed o add
non-human na u e as well. Consequen ly, Alaimo os e s eminis and en i onmen al e hics
by acknowledging he subs an ial in e connec ions be ween human being co po eali y and he
mo e- han-human wo ld.
The pa adigms o ansco po eali y and pos humanism align wi h he discou se o G ace
Wells. These amewo ks eshape ou unde s anding o he connec ions be ween he human
and non-human ealms, as well as he in e ac ions ha occu be ween hem, wi h he aim o
econs uc ing a new ela ional on ology. By doing so, hese app oaches p o ide a esh
pe spec i e on he na u e o exis ence wi hin a wo ld ma ked by a ious o ms o opp ession,
igid bina y bounda ies, and ecological de e io a ion. They in i e us o e-e alua e ou
unde s anding o being in he ace o hese challenges. (Flanne y 61)
A p esen , eco eminis s a gue ha he indi idual canno know cul u e apa om na u e.
The e o e, he e is an u gen need o become awa e o he social ac o s ha e lec no only
how na u e has been ea ed, bu also how i has been known. The ocus o eco eminis s is on
p oposing al e na i e discou ses in o de o ejec he imposi ion o hie a chies and o s ess
in e connec ion and in e dependence ha mus p e ail among human beings and non-human
na u e in o de o su i e as species.
I is pe inen o no e he mani es a ion o eco-spi i uali y in Wells's wo k due o he
in e connec edness o he indi idual wi h he en i onmen p esen ed in he poe y and
concu en ly he ole o eco-ac i is ha Wells p o essionally unde akes in he ca ee .
Likewise, eco-spi i uali y is an e hic ha emb aces non- iolence and sus ainabili y. The e o e,
i en ails espec o all mani es a ions o li ing beings, he na u al balance, and p ocesses o
he en i onmen as well as he ha monious uses o all na u al esou ces. The concep o
sus ainabili y e e s o he non-deple ion o exis ing na u al ma e ials in o de o main ain
ecosys em di e si y.
Joanna Macy’s Spi i ual ecology ‘The C y o he Ea h’ del es in o he in e sec ion o
spi i uali y and en i onmen alism. I explo es he deep connec ion be ween humans and he
na u al wo ld, emphasising he need o a spi i ual and ecological awakening o add ess he
en i onmen al challenges humans ace. This book b ings oge he a ious pe spec i es,
eachings, and p ac ices om di e en spi i ual adi ions, highligh ing he impo ance o
econnec ing wi h na u e and ecognizing he sac edness o he Ea h. I calls o a p o ound
shi in consciousness and beha iou o os e a mo e sus ainable and ha monious ela ionship
wi h he plane . Simila ly, G ace Wells demons a es hese subs an ial p inciples by os e ing
he eme gence o he spi i ual ecology mo emen and he u gen need o li e wi hin an e hic
o ca ing o he Ea h:
The wo ld is no a p oblem o be sol ed; i is a li ing being o which we belong. The wo ld is pa
o ou own sel and we a e a pa o i s su e ing wholeness. Un il we go o he oo o ou image
o sepa a eness, he e can be no healing. And he deepes pa o ou sepa a eness om c ea ion
lies in ou o ge ulness o i s sac ed na u e, which is also ou own sac ed na u e. (Thich Nha
Hanh 7)
Indigenous people ha e long unde s ood ha he human ela ionship wi h he Ea h sus ains
indi iduals bo h spi i ually and physically. Fo indigenous people, his is o en embedded in
hei way o li e and embodied in hei i uals and p aye s. In Wes e n cul u e, indi iduals
s uggle o obse e his spi i ual nou ishmen cha ac e ised by beau y, peace, and a sense o
wonde ha he na u al wo ld bes ows. This is pa o he quali y o li e seldom app ecia ed, a
p esen , by people and go e nmen s due o he capi alis wo ld iew o he global economy
ha has led o he ecological c isis.
Humani y has somehow come o belie e ha hey a e a he cen e o he uni e se as he mos
impo an species and ha he Ea h and o he li ing species a e all a hei se ice. This has
esul ed in a e y human-cen ed iew o he wo ld. Acco ding o ac i is and humani a ian
Sa ish Kuma , who has ad oca ed o he en i onmen and he indi idual ela ionship o i
bo h physically and spi i ually:
The con empo a y en i onmen al mo emen , in he main, ollows he pa h o empi ical science,
a ional hinking, da a collec ion and ex e nal ac ion. This is good as a as i goes bu i doesn’ go
a enough. We need o include ca e o he soul as a pa o ca e o he plane (...) Ca e o he soil
and he soil needs o be ex ended o include ca e o socie y. In spi e o he unp eceden ed g ow h
in he economy, science, echnology and wo ld ade. (146)
Sa ish Kuma s esses he need o bo h spi i ual heal h and sel -ca e o indi iduals like
Wells’s wo k in o de o de end and ca e o he wo ld ha su ounds e e y li ing being.
No ably, Kuma a gues ha i humankind is incapable o seeing his eali y, hey a e likely o
collapse be o e hey a e in a posi ion o make any change. Human beings' souls and he soil
a e inex icable like co-inhabi an s o plane Ea h. Fo his pu pose, humans mus ea each
wi h he same espec .
Ano he s andpoin o eco-spi i uali y o be conside ed is deep ecology, which de ends he
in insic alue o all li ing c ea u es ega dless o hei use o human sel -in e es . In his
sense, he no ions o deep ecology posi he na u al wo ld as a sub le equilib ium o in ica e
in e ac ions ha o ganisms a e bound o depend on each o he o hei own subsis ence
wi hin ecosys ems. Signi ican ly, i os e s he app ecia ion o wilde ness and all li ing beings
o hei own sake and no o hei use ulness and bene i o humankind. A p esen , i has
become e iden ha a deep ecological app oach is c ucial o gua an ee biodi e si y,
sus ainabili y and he exis ence o all species in a long- e m.
In emphasising he signi icance o deep ecological solu ions, Vandana Shi a claimsin
in e iews ha hese app oaches a e c ucial o ensu ing basic needs, digni y, and cul u al
signi icance o e e y indi idual, bo h human and non-human, while sa egua ding he igh o
exis ence and a digni ied li e o he majo i y o humani y:
Deep ecological solu ions a e he only iable solu ions o ensu ing ha e e y pe son on his plane
has enough ood, has enough wa e , has adequa e shel e , has digni y and has a cul u al meaning in
li e. I we don’ ollow he pa h o li ing in ways ha we lea e enough space o o he species, ha
pa adigm also ensu es ha mos human beings will be denied hei igh o exis ence. A sys em ha
denies he in insic alue o o he species denies eigh y pe cen o humani y, hei igh o a
digni ied su i al and a digni ied li e. (...) emb ace he igh o li e o all on his plane , all humans
and all species.
As human igh s ha e been ecognised, deep ecology demands he ecogni ion o he igh s o
na u e as well. Human ela ionship wi h na u e has o be in eg a ed in o a g owing
unde s anding o he p inciples and alues o non- iolence and e e ence o all li e o ms.
Fo his pu pose, deep ecology leads ine i ably o e e en ial ecology and o eco-spi i uali y.
Fu he mo e, one o he aspec s ha Wells also co e s in he wo k is he concep o he spi i
o place. This app oach ela es o classical Roman eligion when Romans honou ed ‘genius
loci’, he ‘p o ec i e spi i o place’ and i implied an in angible a ibu e o a ma e ial place,
ha is pe cei ed bo h spi i ually and physically. The spi i o he place connec s o he
consciousness ha dwel in o es s, ees, wells, i e s and lakes. Ancien cul u es ega ded
he landscape as sac ed and managed o es ablish a sac ed geog aphy o de ine i . Pagans ha e
lea ned ha pa icula places possess a unique a mosphe e, an in ui i e connec ion o na u e,
and a sense o p esence and his is in une wi h he sac edness o places. Wells os e s hese
aspec s, and sugges s ha he Ea h mus be p o ec ed as much as li ing beings since he wo k
demons a es ha indi iduals should no ha e dominion o e o he species
The de elopmen in sciences, echnologies, economics, and philosophies in he pas , ha e
un o una ely ele a ed humankind o a dominan ole and assigned hem a supe io s a us in
on o he nonhuman-wo ld. A global wo ld iew has been cons uc ed and dic a ed only by
he in e es s o humankind o e o he species. In his sense, animals, ain o es s, i e s and
seas a e simply mean o sa is y and mee no only human ends bu also hei c a ings and
desi es. This ype o mindse has been e med 'speciesism', which implies ha humans a e
supe io o e all o he species.
This an h opocen ic iew has b ough abou he loss o spi i ual, ecip ocal, espec ul
ela ionships among human beings and he es o na u e. Wi h ime, humankind has elied
upon he belie ha hey a e sepa a e om na u e and hus, abo e i . The na u al wo ld is ou
in he o es s, he i e s, he bi ds, and in e e y c ea u e, whe eas indi iduals emain enclosed
in hei houses, palaces, buildings, ca s and ai planes, and hey in ade ou side whene e hey
wan o.
Signi ican ly, humani y has been a wa agains na u e h ough he ages o ade, indus y,
echnology, and science ha ha e damaged he biosphe e and he land wi h de o es a ion,
p oduc s, chemicals, and all o ms o pollu an s. As a esul , bi ds and animals ha e become
endange ed species since hey ha e been ea ed un ai ly and used wi h he aim o ob ain
p o i and bene i s by means o comme cial ends. The ongoing des uc ion o ain o es and
empe a e o es s has been jus i ied wi h he aim o de elop mo e a eas o cul i able land o
he ag o-indus y. The ishing indus y con inues o se e ely a ec he ocean and he co al
ee s ha e iden ly a e indispensable o ma ine li e. The massi e amoun o su e ing on
ma ine o e es ial species is ano he ins ance o how human beings a e a wa wi h na u e.
Wes e n cul u e has blinded indi iduals om he e ec s o he ma e ialis ic wo ld pe pe ua ed
on he ecosys em as G ace Well a i ms:
And his is how we li e; ou daily Wes e n ac i i ies a e des oying ou own plane and i s species.
We all a e li ing in a iangle be ween endange ed na u e, Wes e n cul u e, and sel hood. How can
we s ay emo ionally well and “happy”, how can we h i e and lou ish as indi iduals when we
ha e o cons an ly li e wi h he agedies and i onies o ou ime?. (“Cul u e and Na u e”)
The ecological c isis has been caused by se e al laye s o ac o s, as a o emen ioned om he
beginning o his ecoc i ical analysis, bu he oo o he p oblems esides in his s a e o he
spi i ual disconnec ion o humans owa ds na u e. Fo his eason, humani y mus o e come
his duali y and de achmen om he en i onmen in o de o es o e i s balance. In u h,
na u e is no simply ou he e, bu is pa o he human species and she is as much a li ing
o ganism as humans a e. The e o e, he e has o be a espec ul and ha monious ela ionship
wi h he ea h ha is he only one sus aining all li ing beings.
Es é ez and Lo enzo highligh how Wells's ex and poe y shed ligh on he silencing o
na u e's language and he o ced abandonmen o ou inna e connec ion o i :
Wells’s ex and he own poems o e a sound e lec ion on and a demons a ion o how no only
he language o na u e has been silenced, bu also o how we humans ha e been o ced o enounce
any owne ship o a na u al, p ime al language. This has cul u ally and a i icially sepa a ed
humans om he non-human wo ld and, wha is mo e, as Wells mos con incingly a gues, has also
dep i ed bo h us and na u e o ou inhe en ly sha ed sou ce o powe and i ali y, a dep i a ion ha
s ands a he oo o he con empo a y s a e o he unheal hiness o bo h humans and na u e. (141)
Wells no only add esses he ex e nal p oblems in he poe y such as he s a e o he
en i onmen bu also he in e nal p oblems ega ding he physical and men al heal h o human
beings. The la e se es as a g ea mi age o he degene a ion o he na u al and human
wo ld. Wells emphasises he indispensable co-exis ence and in e ela ionship among na u e
and li ing species.
Fo his pu pose, humani y mus come o he conclusion ha wha hey do o he en i onmen ,
hey do o hemsel es and can lead o he demise o na u e as much as o hei own
des uc ion. In his sense, e e y hing is in e connec ed as we li e in an in e dependen wo ld
and hus, he uni y o humans and na u e is i al in o de o come o a new spi i ual
unde s anding and su i e as species. Wells uni es he ca e o he ex e nal wo ld along wi h
he ca e o he in e nal wo ld in o de o each his in e connec edness wi h he Ea h and he
ecogni ion o all li e o ms.
3. G ace Wells’s The Chu ch o he Lo e o he Wo ld.
G ace Wells's The Chu ch o Lo e o he Wo ld b ings a global and u gen ecological message,
eminding e e y indi idual o he pe ilous s a e o he Ea h in con empo a y Wes e n socie y.
This collec ion explo es he in ica e and indispensable in e ela ionship be ween li ing
beings and he na u al wo ld. The e o e, i is p o oundly conce ned wi h he en i onmen al
collapse ha mi o s he men al heal h c isis ha he cu en indi idual aces. Wells’s poe y
showcases he inne na u e o he indi idual by connec ing hei su e ings and s uggles wi h
he b eakdown o he en i onmen in o de o each an unde s anding o he Ea h's
well-being.
The oo o hese p oblems esides in he spi i ual disconnec ion owa ds he non-human
wo ld in ou mode n na u e-exploi ing cosmo ision. Thus, G ace Wells p omp s o es o e
his connec ion and ela ionship wi h he na u al wo ld by showcasing long poems and
sequences illed wi h expe iences o dis ess, ange and g ie in on o all ypes o
an h opogenic pollu an s h ea ening animals and causing se ious isks o he human body’s
li e i sel h ough illnesses such as cance . These sequences o poems c ea e a pe sonal space
o explo e a dep h o emo ions by coun e poin ing he g ie wi h he beau y and wonde ha
na u e bes ows o he poe ic pe sona. In addi ion, passages a e eple e wi h lessons and
lea ning due o momen s o epiphanies and e lec ions on he land, his o y, and iden i y o he
indi idual. Wells places pa icula emphasis on he his o y o I eland by po aying I ish
landscapes and enhancing Gaelic wo ds such as eis, ua h, domhain o o e on he alue o
land, language and he alue o poe y i sel .
The Chu ch o he Lo e o he Wo ld, is di ided in o eigh pa s, s a ing wi h wo poems
en i led “Ves ige” and “We Speak on he Ou B ea h” ollowed by he sec ions o poems
en i led: “All he winds said lea e”, “To bend like p ai ie g ass”, “Ocean, cli and ide”,
“Wha he body holds”, “Psalm” and las ly, “In wonde and in g ie ”, which will be he
cen al ocus o his disse a ion. In he i s poem, “Ves ige”, Wells in oduces he opening
lines o ins an ly link he na u al wo ld, ha is disappea ing, wi h he indi idual om he e y
momen he pages (lea es) o he book a e ead: "Things so u gen , when you / open a book
i s lea es should ake you / back o he o es hey came om,” (11). In his way, Wells’s
pu pose is "mending he wo ld be ween endpape s / in such a deep en angling way / as o
make you pa o he woodland,”(11). This in e wining be ween he indi idual and na u e is
he cen al p emise in he elabo a ion and s uc u e o G ace Wells’s poe y collec ion. Wells
highligh s he p o ound impo ance o g ass in he poe y, linking i o he beginnings o li e
and wo ld economies:
In ‘G ass’, when I say ‘whe e i all begins’, I eally mean so much o he ea hly li e, so much
li e ally begins down in he g ass. The insec s, he an s, he bu e lies among he dandelions, he
beginnings o g ain on which we all depend. On which wo ld economies depend. So much is
oo ed down in he g ass (...) in ‘She Ga he s he Wild G asses’, I am mo ing close all he ime o
he anscenden al na u e o g ass, and i s ole in my li e as a sou ce o he sac ed. And his
esona es wi h many o he o he poems, whe e in di e en ways, I am ying o name he sac ed
wi hin na u e.I o en e eal small e ela ions, small momen s o di ini y expe ienced wi hin he
na u al wo ld. (Wells 2023)
3.2 All he winds said lea e.
One o he mos ema kable poems in his sec ion is “Cha m b acele ”, di ided in o pas and
p esen ac ions, deals wi h he indi idual’s ado a ion and lo e o hei homeland and hei
ques o eco e he memo y o ancien I eland benea h laye s o his o y. The e o e, his poem
explo es he desi e o ake a deepe look a one’s oo s, especially he I ish iden i y, wi h he
a emp o es o e Éi e’s eal beau y and magic unde all he deco a ion o na u e. In his
sense, he i le is e y in en ional h ough he idea o collec ing cha ms o a b acele and
me apho ically, compa ing i wi h he aces o na u e ha he poe ic oice is sea ching o . In
addi ion, his poem p esen s eligious e e ences and i s i le also ca ies eligious
conno a ions, as his idea o collec ing easu es can be compa ed o e e y bead o a osa y
“Bu I kep on looking / s inging a ca echism, like collec ion cha ms o / a b acele .” (24).
Fi s ly, Wells in oduces an epig aph “‘Hibe nia’ mean he land o e e nal win e ” (24). The
Classical La in e m Hibe nia was he name gi en by he Romans o I eland c. 320 BC, so his
I ish my hological Goddess is known o being he emale and na ional pe soni ica ion o
I eland. Mo eo e , o he denomina ions we e Ie ne, Ioue nia and (H)ibe io, all o which a e
adap a ions o a s em om which Éi e and E in de i ed as well. None heless, his emale
igu e is no only depic ed in an a emp o enhance I ish pa io ism bu also o po ay how
na u e mani es s i sel .
Wells p esen s in “Cha m b acele ” an allego y o he opposi ion be ween Ch is iani y and he
na u al wo ld ha ep esen s he I ish pagan adi ions. The ise o Ch is iani y ook place in
he i h cen u y a e he Romans le . Be o e his, ancien I eland was inhabi ed by Cel ic
ibes, who we e deeply connec ed o he na u al wo ld and hey belie ed ha e e y pa o
na u e possessed a spi i . The e o e, he poe ic pe sona’s desi e is o seek o his Cel ic
ances y bu ied benea h all he laye s o snow co e ing he en i e eme ald isle.
In he i s s anza, he poe ic pe sona isi s he uins o Cashel's Rock, “And me being me, I
go all o e Cashel’s Rock / looking o signs o na u e” (24). One o he oldes monumen s o
he Gaelic kingdom o Muns e and, acco ding o legends, his cas le was known o be he si e
o he con e sion o King Aenghus o Ch is iani y done by S . Pa ick in he 5 h cen u y.
Likewise, his si e is whe e B ian Bo u was c owned High King o I eland in 978, who la e
made Cashel his capi al. Wi h ime, he place e en ually became one o he mos p ominen
cen es o ecclesias ical powe in I eland, which unde lines he con as be ween he na u al
beau y o he loca ion and he sign o Ch is iani y ha was plan ed he e. Thus, his ension
can be seen h oughou he whole poem and is accen ua ed h ough a hype bole such
as“cle gy and kings no ha ing hal he po ency o meadow lowe s” (24).
In he second and hi d s anzas, he poe ic oice enume a es di e en he bs and plan s wi h
speci ic ocabula y o desc ibe hem by exp essing cu iosi y abou hei pas uses in medie al
imes. “How honey became mead; how osema y / and sage made me heglins [...] I wan o
know which s ewing he bs hey / ossed on loo s, penny oyal agains icks, / hyssop,
leabane, ue o he chu ches, / min and chamomile o swee en ai ” (24). These lines lead o
a momen o epiphany o he poe ic oice, as she ealises ha he use o hese he bs is la e
me ely o deco a ion in he i h and six h s anzas “I was like ollowing a ail o c umbs,
na u e / banished o me e deco a ion; / o namen on he u ni u e in he museum: / wooden
aco ns, and oaken swa he o oliage” (24). This en ails hose plan s used in wooden u ni u e
and in s one iezes. This is G ace Wells’s app oach as a pos -pas o al w i e since she goes
agains he idealisa ion o he landscape and objec i ica ion o na u e. As such, his is an
en i onmen al c i ique o he ole o na u e as an agen alued only by i s use ulness o
Wes e n human consume ism.
Fu he mo e, Wells also employs a compa ison such as “The highe you build, he close you
come o hea en” (24), which is a Ch is ian e e ence used o con ey he aim o being close o
he sky whe e God is. “Wa le ma ks in he plas e ” (24) sugges s ha he e a e isible
imp in s o imp essions o wa le wi hin he plas e o a wall o s uc u e. This image y can
ca y a symbolic meaning, as can con ey a sense o his o y, adi ion, o a connec ion o
na u e h ough he use o na u al elemen s such as wooden s icks. The wa le ma ks may
symbolise he endu ing p esence o he na u al wo ld o he in luence o pas gene a ions a
he p esen . Mo eo e , he ph ase could signi y he beau y o impe ec ions as he Japanese
philosophy o kin sugi and he esilience o he I ish people in he ace o laye s o his o y
“sea ching he c acks o his o y / o any clue” (24).
Mo eo e , apa om speci ic plan s and he bs, he poe ic oice also desc ibes animals ha
ca y symbolic meanings in he i h s anza “a sands one bull wi h wings, and eagle
ea he ed.” (24), which is a hype bole o con ey ha he eal beau y o eal I eland is
unde nea h he snow and win e . This could also indica e he ansi ion om win e o sp ing
in o de o imply ha I eland has ound he ue sel . As o he sands one bull, i e e s o
Luke he E angelis , who was one o he w i e s o he canonical gospels and is o en depic ed
as being accompanied by a bull wi h wings. Likewise, Wells employs a ious similes such as
“eagle ea he ed wi h g ani e diamonds like he scales o a ish” (24), which a e ull o
biological and geological e e ences and hey highligh he ele ance o na u e o he poe ic
pe sona. In addi ion, a eligious e e ence o John E angelis , since he was o en symbolically
ep esen ed by an eagle.
agmen s’ I sha e how my daugh e became unwell, and hen I did oo. Ou li es a e so close o
he unwell ea h now. Bu i could be di e en . And his e a, his gene a ion, we a e he ones wi h
he las chance, I hink, o change, o b ing he Tua h ela ionship back in o ha mony and balance.
I we don’ hen clea ly Clima e Change and Biodi e si y Collapse will p e ail. We will b ing
abou he end o ou species and so many o he s. So we only ha e one choice now, o emembe
he closeness o people and place, and o look a e place in e e y way we can, so ha ul ima ely
we look a e ou sel es and all o he species oo. (Wells 2023)
Mo eo e , Wells p esen s an ecoc i ical pe spec i e on pos -colonial I ish issues. Be o e
England colonised I eland, he I ish people had hei own eligion and cosmo ision, which
p aised and espec ed na u e meanwhile he English ways we e based on he exploi a ion o
na u al esou ces and he colonisa ion o o he people's lands. Wi h ime, his kind o
ela ionship wi h na u e was assimila ed by he I ish people and i became pa o hei
cul u e, bu w i e s like G ace Wells a e ein oducing and eclaiming he ancien I ish
wo ld iew.
As was a o emen ioned, his I ish cosmo ision and eligion a e ec ea ed h ough he igu e o
an I ish king. The High King, when assuming his ole as ule o I eland, was ins an ly
ma ied o na u e, he p o ide o his powe : "I is my ela ionship wi h he land / which
g an s me so e eign y – / his g ound ou b idal bed" (62). Wells depic s he eminiza ion o
he land h ough me apho s and image y, as na u e is embodied in he igu e o a emale
Goddess Anu, wi h whom he king sleeps in he eligious i ual Banais Righi. In his sense,
only he High King can ha e his kind o access o na u e, as he is he highes ep esen a i e
o he I ish people be o e na u e.
F om a gende ed pe spec i e, “Banais Ríghi, he High King Speaks” depic s an in e es ing
in e ac ion be ween he High King and he igu e o he land as he Goddess. As a esul , he
land is pe soni ied as a powe ul and nu u ing emale en i y and i is impo an o s a e ha
he King main ains a posi ion o dominion and au ho i y o e he . This powe in e ac ion
echoes a b oade pa e n o gende ed opp ession and con ol. The High King's union wi h he
g ound is desc ibed as a ma iage, which adi ionally also sugges s a hie a chical ela ionship
whe e he husband has au ho i y o e he wi e. The land is po ayed as o e ing he sel o he
king, sugges ing a passi e posi ion and a submissi e agen . This depic ion s eng hens
adi ional gende oles and powe imbalances, whe e women a e o en ei ied and expec ed o
submi o male dominance. The King's ans o ma ion and empowe men h ough he union
wi h he land can be glimpsed as an ex ension o pa ia chal sys ems. As he High King
ma ies he land, he gains powe , so e eign y, and a ious quali ies associa ed wi h dominion.
This poem depic s he no ion ha men de i e hei con ol and iden i y om subjuga ing and
subo dina ing women in he con ex o he na u al wo ld. Mo eo e , his poem also
exempli ies he land's posi ion as a p o ide o o e ings and abundance, which can be
analysed as a o m o appeasemen o he exploi a ion and subjuga ion ha endu es.
Signi ican ly, he land o e s he in icacies and na u al esou ces o he King, which
emphasises an in e ac ion whe e women a e expec ed o se e and p o ide o men's needs.
O e all G ace Wells b ings ancien I ish adi ions back o he 21s cen u y as an a emp o a
change in ou mode n na u e-exploi ing cosmo ision. Fo his pu pose, hyb idi y is
mani es ed in his poem h ough he use o p e-colonial I ish belie s as a ool o change wha
is w ong wi h he pos -colonial ones. “Banais Ríghi, he High King Speaks” e lec s a
gende ed powe imbalance whe e he igu e o he land as he Goddess Anu is depic ed as a
submissi e en i y, p o iding o he High King's desi es and p o iding him au ho i y. This
po ayal aligns wi h his o ical p ac ices o gende opp ession, whe e women a e o en
objec i ied, con olled, and expec ed o ca e o men's demands and needs. By analysing hese
gende s uc u es, he poem p omp s a c i ical e lec ion on social con igu a ions and he
inhe en inequali y o dominion ha pe pe ua es gende -based opp ession
3.5 Wha he body holds.
In his sec ion, Wells p esen s a se ies o poems ha illus a e he social pa adigms ha ha e
been imposed on us e en be o e we we e bo n such as eligion, pa ia chy, his o ical
mo emen s, e olu ions, impe ialism and colonisa ion ha ha e led o globalisa ion,
capi alism, co up ion and dic a o ship. Consequen ly, all hese ac o s ha e se iously bu ied
he ue o igin, his o y, e en language, and iden i y o he cu en indi idual; especially his
in ica e and in ima e ela ionship wi h Mo he Ea h. Taken oge he , all o hese
ci cums ances ha e led o an ecological c isis ha e lec s he degene a i e s a e o li ing
beings h ough diseases such as cance . In his way, his sec ion showcases wha he body has
endu ed and unde gone o ages wi hou i s consen .
Mo eo e , Wells celeb a es he p e-Ch is ian oo s by men ioning he pagan cul u e, Cel ic
he i age such as I eland's pa on Sain B idge (who is associa ed wi h he I ish goddess o
e ili y, healing and li e) and las ly, he poe ic oice’s ela ionship o he sel as she ages.
G ace Wells e lec s on he sea ch o he indigenous oo s and he cosmo ision ha esona es
wi h he . As an English pe son esiding in I eland, he li e becomes in ica e. Wells has
dedica ed conside able ime o explo ing I ish Cel ic he i age, including i s legends, s o ies,
and es i als h oughou he Cel ic Yea . Despi e he lo e o his p o ound cul u e, she
acknowledges ha she canno ully claim i as he own. Mo eo e , she inds i challenging o
ela e o English cul u e, pa icula ly as she wi nesses he global epe cussions o B i ish
colonisa ion, which is ampli ied by he expe ience li ing in I eland:
In ‘Indigenous’, I am ying o ind he deep English cul u e ha I would be indigenous o, in he
same way he I ish can lean in o Cel ic he i age. Fo me o do ha , I ha e o go on an
a chaeological explo a ion ha akes me back long be o e he Romans, o a ime when England
had i s own usion o pagan cul u es and p ac ices. Ca l Jung speaks o humans as being bo h
mode n and ancien simul aneously. Fo me he e is some hing e y help ul in ela ing o ou
indigenous na u e i we a e o ackle he en i onmen al c isis. I is, I belie e, ou indigenous sel es
ha can mos easily ac o he Ea h, because his co e elde wi hin each o us, lo es he Ea h
passiona ely—whe eas he mode n pa o ou sel es is en-webbed wi hin cul u e and i can be
mo e di icul o us o passiona ely ad oca e o he Ea h i we a e oo emb oiled wi hin he
mode n wo ld. (Wells 2023)
Pa icula ly in "Indigenous", he poe ic pe sona explo es he childhood memo ies o a isi o
Fishbou ne Roman palace in Sussex wi h an oppo uni y o e hink he iden i y. This cu iosi y
abou he Ea h and i s p o enance becomes a chaeological, as he poe ic pe sona e lec s
upon he li e ha su ounds he h ough ancien mosaics, me apho ically compa ing hei
esse ae o he oo s o lea es and ees. “No longe na i e o anywhe e, I si / a chaeologies
o eel a oo [...] Lea es build like esse ae o make a ee, / bi d is an opus o ea he , beak,
eye and mo e” (69). Al hough he poe ic pe sona was a child who had no knowledge o he
c ea ion o he wo ld “I was a child s a ing a whe e his o y began, / no ye knowing how he
wo ld was made,” (69), she became awa e o he cul u al displacemen and up oo ing o he
wo ld. Likewise, she wonde s “wha lay benea h ha loo –a Cel ic inhe i ance, / he sac ed
names and na u e o place, a los linguis ics” (69). This is a momen o epiphany o he
poe ic pe sona, whe e she disco e s ha despi e he Roman ci ilisa ion, he na u al wo ld and
his Cel ic o igin a e able o esu ace h ough he c acks and de ails o hese ancien elics, “
bu being pagan, I expec hey unde s ood / how na u e conju es he sel om de ail” (69),
hus inding a migh y ecological message.
In e es ingly, Wells gi es a glimpse a how he Romans, wi h he acquisi ion o Ch is iani y,
banished he pagan wo ld and e ased hei belie s. The Ch is ians om he i s cen u y began
wi h he pe secu ion o pagan cul u e, demolishing hei emples, andalising hei s a ues,
cu ing down hei sac ed g o es, sca e ing hei lib a ies and bu ning books. Likewise, ha
s ong connec ion wi h he spi i s o place and na u e was bu ied and eplaced by his
mono heis ic eligion, which has ecognised a single God and has ep esen ed an ‘e olu ion’
in human his o y. Signi ican ly, i has b ough wi h i an unna u al up oo ing and displacemen
om he wo ld as well as o ge ulness o he sac ed na u e wi hin c ea ion. Howe e , his
spli did no occu in cul u es such as indigenous adi ions, which e ained hei belie s. The
poe ic pe sona ela es how hese de elopmen s h ough Roman a ha e hidden he Cel ic
e hnic, cul u e, language and he sac edness o na u al places. Hence, unde nea h all hese
laye s o his o y, he poe ic pe sona inds he sel (he pu e iden i y) and his deep
in e ela edness o Mo he Ea h “ my own dea , indigenous hea .” (60).
G ace Wells discusses ha England has expe ienced colonisa ion and he de elopmen o a
wa io cul u e, causing ha m globally. In I eland, while c i icism owa ds B i ain exis s, he
sha ed cul u al he i age and neoli hic cosmology a e o en o go en, including s anding
s ones, s one ci cles, dolmen, and a ious a is ic and ading p ac ices:
Pe sonally, I ind i help ul o look a wha we ha e in common, a he han o keep s essing wha
di ides us. I ealise ha is simplis ic, and I do no mean o nega e I ish his o y in any way. I do
howe e belie e he e is some hing indigenous wi hin us all ha we need o exca a e— o
ul ima ely i was in ou ea lies cul u es ha we iewed he Ea h as sac ed, and ha is wha we
need o ge back o i we a e o sa e li e on Ea h as we know i . (Wells 2023)
In "Indigenous", G ace Wells explo es childhood memo ies a Fishbou ne Roman palace,
spa king e lec ions on cul u al displacemen and he esu acing o Cel ic he i age. The
poe ic pe sona does no only become awa e o he cul u al displacemen and up oo ing o he
wo ld, bu she is also able o connec wi h he own indigenous oo , which empowe s he o
ac mo e ie cely o he na u al wo ld. Wells s esses he Roman supp ession o pagan belie s
and he consequen disconnec ion om he na u al wo ld. Wells con empla es on he pe sonal
ques o indigenous oo s and he necessi y o econnec wi h ou co e sel es o add ess he
ecological c isis. This poem highligh s he lo e o he Ea h ha li es wi hin ou co e sel es
while ecognising he challenges posed by ou con empo a y en anglemen wi h cul u e.
3.6 Psalm
G ace Wells commemo a es his sec ion wi h “An accoun o ha yea in agmen s” as a
psalm in p aise o li e and he na u al wo ld ha su ounds he poe ic pe sona h ough a se ies
o expe iences o se ious illnesses and ha dships. Fo his pu pose, be o e beginning he
analysis o he poem, i would be con enien o in oduce he meaning o a ‘Psalm’ om he
Ox o d dic iona y in o de o assimila e he healing and com o ing message ha Wells
p esen s h ough his poem u ned in o a psalm:
“2. gen. (esp. in biblical use). A sac ed song ha is o may be sung in eligious wo ship. La e
also: any song o poem o a sac ed o se ious na u e.” (“psalm”)
The poe ic oice goes h ough wo o e lapping heal h c ises beginning wi h he daugh e 's
agile heal h condi ion and hen wi h he own. As a esul , he poem del es in o he dep hs o
ea and g ie , while simul aneously coun e poin ing hese in ense emo ions wi h he sub le y
and ende beau y o na u e ha en elops he poe ic pe sona h oughou . The e olu ion o he
poe ic oice is almos palpable o he poin o con eying memo able and powe ul emo ions
ha ha e a isen in he ace o agedy, as Wells exempli ies: “And I can hold o he doc o /
elling my gi l i ’s likely o be cance [...] I is ha d o be pa ien in an eme gency [...] Fo a
momen I gi e hese p oblems / back o he One ha b ough hem / and y o u n ins ead o
p aise. [...] I y so ha d o hea he one wi hin me / deli ious wi h lo e o he wo ld.” (83).
Mo eo e , Wells uses me apho s o se pain agains beau y: “The e is a d agon ly on hese
i e s which in ligh appea s ba -black / bu on opening he wings becomes eme ald g een”
(82). Likewise, an explici e e ence o I eland commonly known as he Eme ald Isle, and o
he lo e ha he poe ic oice easu es in he o his land.
As o he he o ical de ices, Wells depic s he pe soni ica ion o non-human cha ac e s o
highligh he p esence o na u e, which o e s e uge and a se eni y o he poe ic oice in he
ace o wha she is going h ough: “bu he ain and he open window ha e / ca ied i s
sal -b ea h inland, / I si down in o i , and am held.” (82)
In iguingly, his poem exhibi s pa allels wi h “She Ga he s he Wild G asses”, as bo h poems
ea u e a poe ic pe sona who keenly obse es a mul i ude o g ass blades, me iculously
desc ibing hem as “speedwell, ale ian, he b Robe , / bi d’s oo e oil, pu ple e ch, wild
hyme [...] Wha kind o c ea u es a e we ha all his is no enough” (83). This ex ensi e
a ie y o li e showcased in he na u al wo ld highligh s he ich apes y o exis ence.
None heless, i also con eys a sense o disappoin men , as he pe sona ponde s he
insu iciency o such abundance, sugges ing ha human beings o en ail o app ecia e hei
su oundings, p io i ising sel -in e es ins ead.
This ime, Wells is no only conce ned wi h he en i onmen al c isis, bu also wi h he men al
heal h c isis ha indi iduals expe ience in Wes e n cul u e. The poe ic pe sona wakes up a
nigh in he da k dis essed abou he heal h o he daugh e , who has o unde go ea men s
and su ge ies. Wells po ays d eams as a place o con ession o depic ep essed emo ions,
d awing back in ime o Viking explo a ion, pas ba les and wo ks o a such as he Madonna
and child ha symbolise he igu e o he son as a sign o hope and sal a ion. Thus, hese
anxie ies and g ie u n in o p aise, especially, when he poe ic pe sona enounces hese
obscu e ea s and inds ligh in e e y mani es a ion o na u e. In his way, ins ances o ligh
om he na u al wo ld such as he me e sunligh , he glow o a s eam and he ligh ha leaps
back in o he daugh e ’s eyes guide he poe ic pe sona o a jou ney o healing.
Fu he mo e, G ace Wells employs li e a y de ices such as zoomo phism by a ibu ing
non-human animal ai s o he poe ic pe sona. In his sense, Wells compa es he emo ional
s a e o he poe ic pe sona wi h he wild na u e o Mo he Ea h. “And y o ame my
ne ous-sys em / which is unning animal-wild wi h ea / Now, Sunligh come wi h me, /
Now Beech-lea es s ay a my side, / S eam wa e , low on h ough my mind.” (84). One can
app ecia e he ma e nal lo e and ca e o a mo he owa ds he daugh e in he mids o he
h ea s b ough by he Wes e n wo ld, and simul aneosly, his mi o s he ecological c isis ha
Mo he Ea h aces a p esen . Thus, Wells’s lines can also be conside ed as a pa he ic allacy
since he s a e o he wo ld e lec s he poe ic pe sona’s emo ions. Likewise, Wells employs
jux aposi ions o s ess he poe ic pe sona’s g ie h ough lines such as “When medicine looks
like iolence” (85). Howe e , he language o na u e can embellish hese su e ings, and la e
hey can u n in o holy o e ings and p aise, especially, a e he daugh e 's eco e y, which
enhances he one o he poem u ned in o a psalm.
Subsequen ly, he second heal h c isis occu s when he poe ic pe sona e lec s on he cys ha
has a isen in he pel is. None heless, he poe ic pe sona accep s i i mly, knowing he
momen s o ea and unce ain y ha will come wi h he possibili y o ha ing cance . “Oh
pel is you’ e g own a small ocean, / he way ou seas a e swollen wi h pa ches o oil” (86).
Hence, Wells employs a me apho compa ing he cys in he poe ic pe sona's pel is wi h he
ocean swelling wi h oil slicks in o de o show he di icul esponsibili y o sa ing he
non-human wo ld and he human wo ld. In his sense, he acu e u gency can be seen o ac as
soon as possible be o e a disease such as cance , which can apidly sp ead h oughou he
body and me as asises, in he same way, ha oil liquids and all ypes o pollu ion can sp ead
h oughou he ocean eaching he poin whe e ma ine li e canno be sa ed. Wells makes his
compa ison, as he need o add ess hese issues becomes pa amoun .
Mo eo e , “An accoun o ha yea in agmen s” p esen s lines ha desc ibe e y well he
p ocess o pain ha a pe son may expe ience be o e a malignan disease such as cance . A
p esen , mos indi iduals ha e a ha d ime p ocessing g ie , especially, due o he s ess ul
demands o Wes e n cul u e, whe eby Wells's message is one o accep ance o ulne abili y
wi h an a emp o a oid ep ession o emo ions. Hence, in o de o eel wholeness, one has o
le hese eelings low like a s eam o wa e in o de o cope wi h he p ocess o g ie and all
gen ly in o i . “Oh cys , you’ e a c ys al ball and all I can see / a e mo e doc o s and clinical
ooms / he pa hos o pe ishabili y ,/ my own and o he people's / i his wind keeps us, hese
b anches / will c ack in on o me, and pe haps hey mus . / Some imes we do jus ha e o
s a e / in o he ace o agedy” (86). In Wes e n cul u e, emb acing ulne abili y is a
signi ican challenge. We o en neglec add essing ulne abili y and p o iding p ope ca e o
a ious g oups, as G ace Wells s a es:
The accep ance o ulne abili y is inc edibly di icul wi hin Wes e n cul u e, pa ly because we do
no as a socie y eally wo k o add ess ulne abili y and ca e p ope ly o he elde ly, he unwell,
hose wi h special needs, e en p egnan women, babies, c ea u es. Ra he han emb acing
ulne abili y as a key elemen o li e ha we could gy e ou socie ies a ound, we end o do he
opposi e, and c ea e socie ies, buildings, u ban landscapes, o he able bodied, he physically i ,
and inc easingly owa ds he eli e. Many o he old ci ies o Eu ope a e becoming ghe os o he
übe ich, while he poo a e being pushed u he and u he ou in o he subu bs and deepe in o
an unde class. (Wells 2023)
Ins ead o emb acing ulne abili y, we manage o lee om i . In ins an s o ulne abili y, like
he expe iences desc ibed in he poem, socie y con inually ails o p o ide adequa e aid.
Ra he , indi iduals may eel excluded and u he ma ginalised, in ensi ying hei agili y
while g appling wi h limi ed access o medical assis ance, cos ly heal hca e op ions, and
insu icien counselling se ices.
Men al heal h is pa o his. The e is a huge expec a ion ha we will all accep and emb ace ou
s ange socie y wi h i s ampan capi alism, and h i e wi hin his space. Bu he only way o h i e
is o shu down one’s sensi i i y. Mos young people can’ do his. I isn’ heal hy o hem o do
so. So hey s uggle o ind hemsel es and ind hei place in his s ange, comp omised wo ld.
Mos a is s can’ shu down hei sensi i i y. I is essen ial ha hey do no . So ins ead o shu ing
down, sensi i e people become mo e men ally ulne able. I ’s agic eally. K ishnamu i said “I
is no measu e o heal h o be well adjus ed o a p o oundly sick socie y.” I ag ee wi h his. (Wells
2023)
Wha is mo e, he poe ic pe sona a emp s o b ing back encoun e s and anecdo es om he
non-human wo ld o he hospi al whe e she is o be admi ed. A g ea example is a Eagle’s
ock, one o he mos ou s anding and awe-inspi ing ock o ma ions in Coun y Lei im and
one o he highes ee-s anding ock owe s in I eland. “The cli obscu ed in cloud un il
ya ds om he holy-well, / he sun b oke h ough, and he mis suddenly li ed” (87). These
memo ies ill he poe ic pe sona wi h se eni y and esilience in on o he medical
p ocedu es she has o unde go such as anaes hesia. In addi ion, he wa m company o each o
he iends and amily membe s, who isi he , u ns his si ua ion in o a hospi al picnic. Wells
employs he o ical igu es such as a simile“ And Da e comes o si on he ha d plas ic chai ,
making he yea s o ou iendship solid in he oom”. Likewise, he use o me apho s o
unde line he abundance o lo e he poe ic oice is ecei ing “And U sula d i es ac oss wo
coun ies, [...] so by he medicine o iendship I mend” (88).
Fu he mo e, he poe ic oice emb aces he wo d Benign, ne e heless, his e y wo d ca ies
posi i e and nega i e conno a ions since i has also b ough wi h i ha sh diagnoses and
medical ea men s ha he poe ic pe sona has been exposed o o e his yea . Hence, Wells
employs wo dplays o medical e ms ha jux apose wi h he bo anical e ms she has u ilised
h oughou e e y poem: "The gynaecologis eeling o a me hys e ec omy, Oopho ec omy,
salpingec omy, achelec omy." (88). The poe ic pe sona abho s he idea o ha ing o unde go
hese su gical p ocedu es o emo e he u e us due o he ac ha she conside s he womb as
some hing sac ed: “Bu I wouldn' sign hei o m. My womb / has psycho-spi i ual
signi icance, I said in my pape -gown [...] And i you do ha e o ake i , I´ll wan i back
a e wa ds, / I said, hinking o a bu ial in he woods / No, he says. I would go o oncology. /
Ou body ou own un il i isn´ ” (88). G ace Wells as an eco eminis poe ein o ces he idea
ha women ca y an essen ial and indispensable connec ion o na u e, as bo h agen s ha e
been subo dina ed by man’s domina ion h ough cen u ies. Wells’s empowe ing pu pose is o
enhance emale embodimen and c i ique o he and ocen ic socie y o which women and he
non-human wo ld ha e been subjec ed, as Huggan and Ti in exempli ied:
Such associa ions ha e also de e mined women’s in e io i y o men, since women ha e been
hough close o na u e, pa icula ly h ough such bodily ac i i ies as childbi h and child ea ing
[...] Indeed, i is now commonplace o sugges ha women and colonised subjec s ha e been
iden i ied wi h he body and he animalis ic, while he ‘na u al’ sup emacy o men – and, by
ex ension, male colonise s – is e idenced by hei appa en anscendence o he body. (188)
Hence, Wells ehemen ly denounces bo h he agg ession owa ds na u e and he opp ession o
women. One o he cen al hemes analysed in Wells’s poe y is he po ayal o he body,
depic ing i as bo h he 'colonised' u ili a ian and he exploi ed emale igu e o Mo he Ea h,
bo h agen s ha become ei ied wi hin his an h opocen ic socie y.
Fu he mo e, e en hough he poe ic oice has been exposed o ea men s and he apies, he e
is always a way o imme se he sel in he non-human wo ld ha o e s es o a ion and
eco e y. As we saw in he beginning o Wells’s collec ion and he p e ious poem "She
Ga he s he Wild G asses", songbi ds esona e h oughou his poem as well and accompany
he poe ic oice in each phase o g ie and healing. Likewise, Wells employs me apho s o
compa e songbi ds as a he apy o he poe ic oice "I ake hei no es in o my issue, / abso b
hei he apy." (89).
Mo eo e , Wells e e s o Shinzan Miyamae Roshi, a Buddhis eache who o e ed impo an
con ibu ions o he undamen al eachings o impe manence. This Buddhis doc ine seeks
ha mony and balance h ough he empi ical u h ha e e y li ing hing can a ise and pass
away, which is an in insic cha ac e is ic o li e. Buddhis p ac ices can aid indi iduals o
e lec on he wo ld and channel hose su e ings o esis ing he na u al low o he ansience
o li e, as zen Buddhis and ac i is Nhấ Hạnh said:
Impe manence and sel lessness a e no nega i e aspec s o li e, bu he e y ounda ions on which
li e is buil . Impe manence is he cons an ans o ma ion o hings. Wi hou impe manence, he e
can be no li e. Sel lessness is he in e dependen na u e o all hings. Wi hou in e dependence,
no hing could exis . (Hạnh 32)
This is G ace Wells’s philosophy as well and she clea ly exp esses i h ough he lines o “An
accoun o ha yea in agmen s” by enhancing he undamen al in e dependence and
in e ela edness be ween li ing beings and na u e. This poem is eci ed as a psalm and a song
o he na u al wo ld and li e, as he poe ic oice is able o o e come in one yea ha d illnesses
and exhaus ing ha dships ha he daugh e and he sel we e exposed o. None heless, hese
agic mishaps a e ans o med in o p aises and blessings by inding shel e in na u e and
connec ing wi h he non-human wo ld ha su ounds he poe ic pe sona in e e y agmen . In
addi ion, “An accoun o ha yea in agmen s” esponds gen ly o "She Ga he s he Wild
G asses" especially when he poe ic pe sona s a es a he e y end: “Ya ow I se , benea h he
o cha d I plan ed / No pollu ed, no d enched in glyphosa es. / Benea h he bi d's weigh , he
s alk, /cu es and bends. The gold inch li s ee / Come na u e, help me oice his psalm. /
Come na u e, who knows how long ei he o us has” (90). The e o e, G ace Wells akes i
upon he sel o sha e an u gen ecological message by gi ing oice o he non-human wo ld
and by enhancing he indispensable in e ela ionship be ween li ing beings and Mo he Ea h.
3.7 In wonde and in g ie .
G ace Wells culmina es he wo k wi h one o he mos memo able poems o all, en i led "Cill
Gh á an Domhain'', whose e y i le in Gaelic signi ies: Cill: chu ch; Gh á: lo e; Domhain:
wo ld. The Gobnai ’s chapel alludes o he chu ch in he i le o he poem as well as he i le o
Wells’s poe y collec ion. These Gaelic wo ds s ess he in ima e in e connec ion be ween
land and people, which is he p emise o he en i e collec ion: Domhain means uni e se,
Ea h, and i s people as well.
I is impo an o no e ha S . Gobnai 's Chu ch is si ua ed in he No he n pa o Inishee , in
he A an Islands, I eland, Galway. Wells po ays his enowned Gobnai , an I ish sain
closely associa ed wi h bees: Sain Gobnai is one o he mos belo ed local emale sain s, and
he eas is celeb a ed on 11 h Feb ua y, which has been included in he na ional calenda o
I eland. As o he his o y o he chu ch, he place is belie ed o ha e been in ac i e use e e
since he 6 h cen u y. Acco ding o adi ional s o ies, Sain Gobnai led om Coun y Cla e
o Inishee in o de o lee a amily dispu e. A e wa ds, Gobnai wi nessed he mani es a ion
o an angel, who old he o e u n o he mainland and head sou h un il she saw nine whi e
dee ; hen she se led in Bally ou ney and es ablished a eligious communi y he e. The
emnan s o he beehi e cell a e belie ed o be a Inishee , and he s one chu ch was p obably
cons uc ed in he 11 h o 12 h cen u y.
As an eco eminis and eco-spi i ual w i e , G ace Wells o e s e lec ions on he ideologies
and hie a chical s uc u es ha ha e sepa a ed ealms such as he human wo ld e sus he
non-human wo ld ha p edomina e in oday's Wes e n socie y. G ace Wells e lec s he
p eoccupa ion wi hin his e a o biodi e si y and clima e c isis and denounces hese
an h opogenic ela ionships owa ds he non-human wo ld. The de achmen om he na u al
wo ld migh ha e gi en humani y ad ances in science and echnology bu has caused a
agmen a ion and aliena ion in ou con empo a y socie y, which has le us wi hou any
ins inc i e connec ion o he spi i ual dimension o he na u al wo ld and li e: ha connec ion
be ween he human soul and he soul o he wo ld, and he undamen al knowledge ha all
li ing beings a e pa o a single, spi i ual and whole li ing o ganism, who is Mo he Ea h.
As poe G ace Well poin s ou :
I would jus say ha my sense is ha na u e, he Unconscious, he Wo ld Soul, and wha we call
“God” a e all one and he same (...) we need o c ea e as many sanc ua ies as possible. Sanc ua ies
o he bi ds and c ea u es, he plan s and he oceans, and we need o build sanc ua ies o
ou sel es, buildings, communi ies a wo ks, music, and places whe e he Wo ld Soul wi hin each
o us can h i e. We need e i o ies ha can s ill, calm, and soo he us, places whe e we can
econnec o sel -hood, and a ededica ion o being he e. Places whe e we can all in lo e wi h ou
li es all o e again. (“Cul u e and Na u e”)
In he poe y, Wells p esen s he Ea h as a li ing agen o aise awa eness o he u gen need
o heal he damaged body and he wounded soul o Mo he Ea h due o human exploi a ion
and desec a ion. The poe ic pe sona a i ms he lo e o he wo ld in he ace o
en i onmen al collapse, as lo e is he cu e o heal wha humani y has desec a ed and
des oyed. Lo e can open he way o a deep engagemen wi h li e, i can in i e us o
acknowledge he sac ed and econnec wi h he di ine ha is p esen in e e y elemen o
na u e. In his sense, we can become awa e o he uni y o li e and e lec on how ou ac ions
on an indi idual le el a ec ou global en i onmen bo h ou wa d and inwa d. G ace Wells's
The Chu ch o he Lo e o he Wo ld is a balm o he soul, in i ing us o ind belonging and
sanc ua y in ou psyche, body, cul u e and na u e. Abo e all, he objec i e is o eco e a
sense o wholeness wi h he Ea h by e u ning o ou own oo s, emb acing oo edness and
o ging a connec ion wi h ha sac ed wholeness. The econnec ion and e e ence wi h he
mo e- han human-wo ld a e wha will lead us o ou own su i al and he es o a ion o he
balance in he wo ld.
The Chu ch o he Lo e o he Wo ld encompasses he in ica e ela ionship be ween
indi iduals and na u e as a way o add ess u gen ecological conce ns. G ace Wells, as an
eco-poe and en i onmen al w i e , s esses he need o econnec wi h he na u al wo ld in he
ace o ecological b eakdown. Wells d aws inspi a ion om I ish cul u e and his o y,
inco po a ing Gaelic wo ds and highligh ing he signi icance o land, language, and
s o y elling. Wells's wo k is g ounded in he heo e ical amewo k o ecoc i icism, which
en elops a ious s andpoin s such as eco eminism, pos colonial ecoc i icism, and
eco-spi i uali y o shed ligh on en i onmen al jus ice and challenge Wes e n socie y's
exploi a i e cosmo ision owa ds na u e. Th ough he poe y, Wells calls o he p o ec ion o
Mo he Ea h and seeks o awaken a sense o ecological and eminis consciousness in he
eade s. The Chu ch o he Lo e o he Wo ld del es in o hemes o g ie , wonde , and
esilience, wea ing oge he pe sonal expe iences, lessons and e lec ions on his o y and on
he Ea h. G ace Wells’s poe y collec ion in i es indi iduals o ees ablish hei connec ion
wi h na u e and ecognise he inhe en in e connec edness be ween human beings and he
na u al wo ld.
Wo ks ci ed
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Jus ice. Rou ledge, 2016.
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Hanh. Shambhala, 2011.
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Chang.” The I ish Times, 14 June 2022,
h ps://www.i ish imes.com/cul u e/books/2022/06/12/poe y- e iews-sean-lysa
gh -g ace-wells-ma y-do cey-and- ic o ia-chang/.
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En i onmen . Rou ledge, 2015.
Macy, Joanna e al. "Widening Ci cles– wi h Joanna Macy." In e iew by Ma y Smi h,
6 Feb. 2023, h ps://eme gencemagazine.o g/in e iew/widening-ci cles/.
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uploaded by Césa Domínguez, 2 Decembe 2016,
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www.oed.com/ iew/En y/130418. Accessed 2 Ap il 2023.
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Appendix
In e iew wi h G ace Wells
❖I is in e es ing o no e he eminisa ion o ag icul u e in “She Ga he s he Wild G asses”
h ough lines “and I emembe how i was women / who ga he ing he i s g asses / and
sca e ing hei seed, / became he ea lies a me s– / in en ing an ag icul u e / ha b ough
he nomadic ibes / o es ”. I would like o know a li le bi abou his poem om a gende
pe spec i e.
“In he las ew yea s I ha e hough a lo abou he e m ‘man and na u e’, and how we
almos ne e hea he e m ‘woman and na u e’. I am e y cu ious o know mo e abou he
ela ionship ha women can ha e wi h na u e. I eels o me o be a p o oundly wise
ela ionship, and I suppose I am looking a ha ela ionship in his poem. In di e en ways. I
am medi a ing on he many di e en hings I know abou women and g ass. I begins wi h my
simply ouching and ga he ing he g asses. And mo es h ough e y many ela ions: women
& child en hung y because Wes e n a ming me hods ha e used oo much glyphosa e and
caused high glu en in ole ance, which led people, o en women, o buy g ains ha we e no
whea , like quinoa, which led he p ices o hose s able oods o become impossibly high, so
women s a ed. As I ouch he g asses, I medi a e on all he impac s ‘man and na u e’ has on
‘women and na u e’. I men ion a woman whose child is bo n wi h a damaged hea , and how
a p egnan woman’s p oximi y o a mland is he one o he p ima y causes o in an hea
de ec s. La gely I hink he poem speaks abou how i is o be a woman li ing wi hin a
pa ia chal wo ld. O cou se, women can ha e ca ee s and ma e ial objec and many conc e e
‘equali ies’. Bu wha o he na u al wo ld ha we ha e inhe i ed and a e ela ing o? This
sense o ‘woman and na u e’ is la gely al eady de ined by wha man has done, and con inues
o do o na u e. And ye i was women who i s in en ed ag icul u e, who i s lea ned abou
seeds and g asses and g ain. I suppose he poem seeks o ask women o become ha engaged
and powe ul wi hin hei ela ionship o na u e, all o e again, in a 21s cen u y manne ”.
❖In “G ass” and “She Ga he s he Wild G asses”. Does he symbol o g ass en ail a
anscenden al ole and esona e wi h he es o he poems?
“In e es ingly, I hink in ‘G ass’ he e is less o a anscenden al ole, han he e is in ‘She
Ga he s he Wild G asses’, whe e ea ly on I e e o emples, and connec g ass o ancien
spi i uali y. Also, as my own hand eaches o he g asses, and my hough s ocus on he
g asses, I am d awn o speak o ha which I ind holy in na u e. Bu in ‘G ass’, when I say
‘whe e i all begins’, I eally mean so much o he ea hly li e, so much li e ally begins down
in he g ass. The insec s, he an s, he bu e lies among he dandelions, he beginnings o
g ain on which we all depend. On which wo ld economies depend. So much is oo ed down in
he g ass, so i ’s no so much anscenden al in ‘G ass’, as an absolu e necessi y o li e, all
li e in a e y p ac ical way. Bu yes in ‘She Ga he s he Wild G asses’, I am mo ing close all
he ime o he anscenden al na u e o g ass, and i s ole in my li e as a sou ce o he sac ed.
And yes, his esona es wi h many o he o he poems, whe e in di e en ways, I am ying o
name he sac ed wi hin na u e, wi hou necessa ily o e ly saying ha . Ins ead, I o en e eal
small e ela ions, small momen s o di ini y expe ienced wi hin he na u al wo ld.”
❖Fo me, he Gaelic wo d “Tua h” is ele an in “Banais Ríghi, he High King Speaks” o
he sense o uni y ha i bes ows. Is i also an echo o you whole collec ion? “Tua h, Tua h,
Tua h meaning people, meaning place”.
“Yes, i he wo d Tua h is also an echo o he whole collec ion. Mo e han e e I eel people
and place a e one—excep mo e in he sense o chaos, a he han he ha mony we could
sha e. By which I mean, he land is unwell, and he people a e oo. The g ea web o
biodi e si y is un a elling, collapsing. And people a e unde he same p essu es. I he
chemicals a e in he land, hey a e in he people oo. The soil sickens wi h oxins, and we
sicken. In ‘An accoun o ha yea in agmen s’ I sha e how my daugh e became unwell,
and hen I did oo. Ou li es a e so close o he unwell ea h now. Bu i could be di e en .
And his e a, his gene a ion, we a e he ones wi h he las chance, I hink, o change, o b ing
he Tua h ela ionship back in o ha mony and balance. I we don’ hen clea ly Clima e
Change and Biodi e si y Collapse will p e ail. We will b ing abou he end o ou species and
so many o he s. So we only ha e one choice now, o emembe he closeness o people and
place, and o look a e place in e e y way we can, so ha ul ima ely we look a e ou sel es
and all o he species oo”.
❖I would be h illed o know mo e abou he c ea ion and elabo a ion o you poem
“Indigenous”. Is his poem an a chaeological explo a ion ha he poe ic oice emba ks on?
Does she become awa e o he cul u al displacemen and up oo ing o he wo ld?
“These wo ques ions ela e o one ano he in a way, as in my poem ‘Indigenous’, I am ying
o ind wha I am indigenous oo. Whe e a e my deepes oo s, and whe e is he cosmo ision
ha I mos ela e o? As an English pe son li ing in I eland li e is complex o many easons.
I ha e spen much o my li e explo ing I ish Cel ic he i age, he legends and s o ies o his
place, and he Cel ic Yea wi h i s es i als. Much as I lo e all his deep cul u e, I can no
claim i as my own. Bu I also don’ ela e o much wi hin English cul u e—all he mo e so
because li ing in I eland I see he ha m he B i ish caused wo ldwide wi h hei colonisa ions.
In ‘Indigenous’, I am ying o ind he deep English cul u e ha I would be indigenous o, in
he same way he I ish can lean in o Cel ic he i age. Fo me o do ha , I ha e o go on an
a chaeological explo a ion ha akes me back long be o e he Romans, o a ime when
England had i s own usion o pagan cul u es and p ac ices. Ca l Jung speaks o humans as
being bo h mode n and ancien simul aneously. Fo me he e is some hing e y help ul in
ela ing o ou indigenous na u e i we a e o ackle he en i onmen al c isis. I is, I belie e,
ou indigenous sel es ha can mos easily ac o he Ea h, because his co e elde wi hin
each o us, lo es he Ea h passiona ely—whe eas he mode n pa o ou sel es is en-webbed
wi hin cul u e and i can be mo e di icul o us o passiona ely ad oca e o he Ea h i we
a e oo emb oiled wi hin he mode n wo ld. In he poem, a he han becoming awa e o he
cul u al displacemen and up oo ing o he wo ld, I am able o connec wi h my own
indigenous oo , which empowe s me o ac mo e ie cely o he na u al wo ld”.
❖I was mo ed by analysing “An accoun o ha yea in agmen s”. I hink his poem
encompasses i al issues such as he impo ance o men al heal h and he accep ance o
ulne abili y. I would like o know a li le bi mo e abou you iews ega ding hese issues
ha should be ele an in con empo a y socie y.
“So ha ing said all ha , when I look again a you p e ious ques ion, I ha e o ag ee wi h
you, yes, i ’s all ue. Bu also he e is he con ex ha England was i sel colonised by wa es
o di e en a acke s who diminished an ea lie cohesion, and buil ins ead a wa io cul u e
which ul ima ely ha med much o he wo ld. In I eland he e is na u ally always g ea
c i icism o B i ain, bu li le is e e emembe ed o a ime o sha ed cul u al e e ences, an
ea lie neoli hic cosmology which sha ed ou s anding s ones, s one ci cles, dolmen and o he
p ac ices, a and ade. Pe sonally I ind i help ul o look a wha we ha e in common, a he
han o keep s essing wha di ides us. I ealise ha is simplis ic, and I do no mean o nega e
I ish his o y in any way. I do howe e belie e he e is some hing indigenous wi hin us all ha
we need o exca a e— o ul ima ely i was in ou ea lies cul u es ha we iewed he Ea h as
sac ed, and ha is wha we need o ge back o i we a e o sa e li e on Ea h as we know i .
The accep ance o ulne abili y is inc edibly di icul wi hin Wes e n cul u e, pa ly because
we do no as a socie y eally wo k o add ess ulne abili y and ca e p ope ly o he elde ly,
he unwell, hose wi h special needs, e en p egnan women, babies, c ea u es. Ra he han
emb acing ulne abili y as a key elemen o li e ha we could gy e ou socie ies a ound, we
end o do he opposi e, and c ea e socie ies, buildings, u ban landscapes, o he able bodied,
he physically i , and inc easingly owa ds he eli e. Many o he old ci ies o Eu ope a e
becoming ghe os o he übe ich, while he poo a e being pushed u he and u he ou
in o he subu bs and deepe in o an unde class.
We a e unning om ou ulne abili y, no owa ds i . So when people a e ulne able,
as mysel and my daugh e we e in he yea ha he poem ela es o, people a e no p ope ly
suppo ed by socie y, hey a e in ways ‘cas ou u he om he mains eam’ and in becoming
doubly ulne able hen, we eel ou ulne abili y mo e keenly, and a e bo h agile wi hin
ou sel es, and unsuppo ed by an o e -s essed medical sys em, expensi e heal h solu ions,
inadequa e counselling suppo s, e c.
Men al heal h is pa o his. The e is a huge expec a ion ha we will all accep and
emb ace ou s ange socie y wi h i s ampan capi alism, and h i e wi hin his space. Bu he
only way o h i e is o shu down one’s sensi i i y. Mos young people can’ do his. I isn’
heal hy o hem o do so. So hey s uggle o ind hemsel es and ind hei place in his
s ange, comp omised wo ld. Mos a is s can’ shu down hei sensi i i y. I is essen ial ha
hey do no . So ins ead o shu ing down, sensi i e people become mo e men ally ulne able.
I ’s agic eally. K ishnamu i said “I is no measu e o heal h o be well adjus ed o a
p o oundly sick socie y.” I ag ee wi h his”.
