John Muir | Spaces We Hold Dear

On April 21st, we celebrate the birth of John Muir, the fierce and poetic guardian of America’s wilderness. Born in 1838 in the green hills of Dunbar, Scotland, and raised in the heartland of Wisconsin, Muir grew into a visionary whose love for the natural world shaped our national conscience. He walked thousands of miles through untamed landscapes—not to conquer them, but to understand and preserve them. His words helped birth the American conservation movement, inspired the creation of our national parks, and called a restless nation to pause and behold the sacred wild.

JOHN MUIR | Spaces We Hold Dear,” a reflection on the wild lands he loved, the beauty he revealed, and the still-beating heart of nature he helped protect for generations yet to come. This poem is featured in Red, White & Verse and is available here.

John Muir

JOHN MUIR | Spaces we hold Dear

Before the rise of steel and smoke, and mankind’s fevered pace,

America’s natural wonders were a breathtaking embrace.

Majestic mountains kissing the sky, rivers running wild and free,

Rolling prairies and deep woods, a stunning tapestry.

Beneath a clear dome, where eagles dared to soar,

Lay landscapes untouched, a world to explore.

A nation rich in beauty, from sea to shining sea,

The whispering wind through the pines, nature’s symphony.

In Dunbar’s green he first drew breath in 1838,

John Muir, a Scottish lad of no small fate.

A voyage across the ocean’s great expanse

Led him to Wisconsin’s fertile, vibrant dance.

A worker of many trades was he,

Engineer, farmer, all to fund his journey free.

His heart found rhythm in the wild’s sweet song,

In nature’s book, he found where he belonged.

His prose, a mirror of his love so deep,

Words that could make the hardest hearts weep.

Mountains of California, Summer in the Sierra,

His cherished volumes, void of any error.

In the majesty of mountains tall and valleys wide,

Muir’s spirit, with the wilderness, did collide.

Explorations penned in each passionate dispatch,

A lasting testament, with time, none could match.

Together with like-minded souls, he took a stand,

Formed the Sierra Club, protectors of our land.

Their vision, as clear as a mountain spring,

For nature’s preservation, their voices would sing.

From Yosemite’s grandeur to Sequoia’s towering might,

His influence turned these visions into a sight.

Protected and cherished for all to see,

These natural wonders, for eternity.

Friend to Roosevelt, the president of his day,

Through correspondence, they sought nature’s way.

Their letters of plans and dreams did chart,

A noble mission, from the heart.

In Los Angeles, his journey found its sunset,

On Christmas Eve 1914, the stage was set.

Yet, his spirit, in the wild, it dances still,

On each leaf, each feather, each hill.

Muir’s legacy in words and deeds prevails,

His love for nature, in our hearts, never fails.

In every tree, every stone, every azure lake,

We see his reflection in the beauty we partake.

Now safeguarded within our nation’s heart, these natural wonders stand,

Preserved in parks, like sacred art, testament to this great land.

Each canyon, geyser, waterfall, each meadow, peak, and tree,

Kept for the awe of one and all, for eternity.

These preserved realms of wilderness, they whisper tales of yore,

And offer to our busyness, a peace we can’t ignore.

They fuel our souls, calm our minds, their importance crystal clear,

In every American heart, one finds these spaces we hold dear.

By Greg McNeilly