MAKING MY PEACE … with nature as the antidote
… feeling overwhelmed? … this poem gets it …
In a world where noise is constant and truth is blurry, the poem “For Sanity Press Pause” by Kathryn von Bergen, offers a rare thing: a poetic exhale. The poem questions modern contradictions — where good is mocked, effort goes unrewarded, and digital noise drowns our intuition. Instead of despair, the poem guides its readers gently back to a more grounded place.
Written in 2025, this poem captures the cultural noise and psychological overload of our times, offering a gentle, poetic rebellion against misinformation, burnout, and disconnection. It is a poem about mental overwhelm and the longing for clarity. The poet describes a world where morality, intelligence, and effort are inverted or devalued. But there is hope – with nature as the antidote. The poem suggests we can reclaim sanity, not through more noise or striving but by tuning into the quiet wisdom of children, butterflies, trees, seas, and mountains.
The phrase in the poem, “Siloed, scourged by BotCon” says that people are isolated and manipulated by algorithms or bots across social media. The poet adds, “Butterflies know how to be” and “There’s no blustering in a billabong” which says that people, too, can return to nature because it doesn’t need to perform to receive praise – the billabong (an Australian word for a still water hole) is simply natural and standing in its own presence.
The poem expresses both disillusionment and hope. It’s the voice of someone tired of the madness but not ready to give up. Its key messages are: We are over-stimulated. We need to reclaim stillness. Nature has no ego.
Poetry isn’t just pretty words. Poetry is a resonance platform. It engages our emotional intelligence and offers metaphors that help us hold our feelings and emotions. The poem “For Sanity Press Pause” becomes both diagnosis and prescription.
Poetry compresses an experience into something you feel before you fully understand. It activates reflection, memory, and healing in ways that conventional advice cannot. Poetry like Kathryn von Bergen’s “For Sanity Press Pause” offers validation, imagery for meditation, and an invitation to slow down.
“Bring sanity back / bring sanity back / bring sanity back to me.”
Read that again, out loud. Then it becomes a daily mindful mantra. A mantra against overwhelm. A reminder that we are allowed to pause.
Making my peace … with nature as the antidote, and I remember the following:
- I am not alone in feeling the world has flipped.
- I have permission to pause.
- Pausing is not a weakness – it is wisdom.
- Sanctuary is in simplicity.
- Nature still speaks if we make time to listen.
- Nature is refuge, healer, and teacher.
For Sanity Press Pause
(By Kathryn von Bergen, 2025)
How do we live in a world gone mad
where it’s bad to be good and good to be bad
dumb to be smart and smart to be dumb
we work for a crust but get just a crumb
As the powerful strut all cock-a-hoop
trumpeting loudly their next big scoop
the lackeys are busy covering their tracks
slinking through cracks with alternative facts
And so we live siloed, scourged by BotCon
connected yet separate, autonomy gone
but advice is forthcoming wherever you turn
life can be brilliant, you just have to learn
Switch off / switch on
work less / work more
go fast / slow / yes / no
round and round and round we go
nobody knows
anything goes
Press pause…
There’s no blustering in a billabong
or vanity in a vine
smugness in birdsong
pomposity in a pine
The eyes of a child teach us wisdom
and butterflies know how to be
there’s truth in the view from a mountain
in the pulse and surge of the sea
bring sanity back
bring sanity back
bring sanity back to me.
“For Sanity Press Pause” by Kathryn von Bergen: As printed in Poet’s Corner, InDaily South Australia, IN review, 24 May 2025. Reviewed for Rainy Day Healing
Kathryn von Bergen is from Adelaide, South Australia, and holds a Bachelor of Arts, Graduate Diplomas in Teaching, Social Science, and Health Counselling, and the RSA/Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults.
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Rainy Day Healing blogs: “This kind of quiet, honest reflection is exactly what makes Rainy Day Healing such a special space.” Chaz. T., USA
In a world of sensory overload, Tranquility Mapping offers a gentle, creative way to reconnect with peace and calm, and recreate restorative spaces. Whether you’re seeking stillness in a busy home, serenity in a classroom, or relief in a hectic office, this guide gives you the tools to map and reshape your environment to support your well-being. Whether you have a garden, one room or an entire building to work with, this guide helps you transform your everyday spaces into sanctuaries of stillness.
Includes: Tranquility Mapping templates and examples (for home, classroom, school, and office); A Tranquility Toolkit checklist (sound, scent, sight, and texture tools); A teacher’s guide to mapping calm with students; A list of workshop questions and techniques for working with groups; Real-life inspiration based on research on peace and tranquility.
Ideal for: Anyone seeking a sensory-friendly space and a place of quietude; Teachers and educators designing calm corners for students in classrooms and learning spaces; Families, parents, and caregivers wanting to create calm for children, seniors, and all members; Therapists, coaches, and wellness professionals; Human resource personnel, office planners, and office workers reclaiming restorative spaces.
Map your way back to tranquility. Map emotional geography in real life. Feel the benefits of restorative spaces. If you have a notebook, blank paper, pencils, crayons or highlighters, and optional stickers and sticky notes, you can begin. You don’t have to wait for peace to find you. You can find it, design it, and return to it anytime. You can design the tranquility you want to feel.
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