SURRENDERING

By Michael Soule’

I surrender to snakes because few of them abandon the ground of being.

I surrender to toads because they never lose faith, at least in rain.

I surrender to cats because they never lie.

I surrender to weather because it is unpredictable.

I surrender to deserts because emptiness is possibility.

I surrender to Nature because diversity is beauty.

I surrender to evolution because it is creative.

I surrender to love because hatred engenders evil.

I surrender to death because it distributes resources and is preferable to senility.

I surrender to optimism because it minimizes suicide.

I surrender to storms because we need some drama besides politics.

I surrender to donuts because they make me hole.

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Michael Soule’ is Professor Emeritus of Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz. He cofounded and was first President of the Society for Conservation Biology, and cofounded The Wildlands Project. He is widely recognized as the Father of Conservation Biology.