Geoff Oelsner

Geoff Oelsner has co-led the Poetry of Nature group with NanLeah going on 7 years. He’s been a faculty member, and Board member of IPM for 13 years.

His first poem came to him at age 14 in 1963 after he attended a poetry reading in his native Kansas City:

THE QUESTIONS

With the pristine innocence of a child,

without thought of self-advancement,

other than gaining knowledge,

the young girl stands and asks,

“What is the highest aim of a poet?”

Now a nervous silence engulfs us.

Our precocious little group

huddles together mentally.

We wait.  The speaker cannot answer.

He evades the arrow with a quick step backwards

then launches a feeble counter-attack.

But only the young girl has walked

through this verbal labyrinth

with a ball of twine.

My mind questions its garden

and I know this girl through myself --

a self that has nearly disappeared.

The girl and I-- if we find this self--

we will be the speaker and answer all questions.

The sudden emergence of these words was a great surprise to him. He’s been questioning that inner garden, and writing songs and poetry ever since then.

While pursuing an English major at Oberlin College, Geoff spent a year as an exchange student in Scotland and discovered the Findhorn Community where he had life changing experiences of attunement, or communion with nature, while working in the community’s garden. He’s been a dedicated organic gardener ever since.

After earning a Masters degree in Social Work from the University of Georgia, Geoff and his wife Leslie moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas in 1979. He practiced psychotherapy, music therapy, clinical hypnotherapy and massage therapy there for over 30 years before his retirement, also leading a free weekly Buddhist Meditation group for 25 years, prior to the pandemic.

Geoff’s self-published ebook, Attunements for the Earth:  Poetic, Musical, Photographic, Anecdotal, Climatic, Intuitional, Scientific, Spiritual (2022). was initially inspired by and includes 10 “Attunements” letters written to participants in IPM’s 2020 Poetry of Nature group.  These letters include poetry, prompts and pioneering, regenerative approaches to our climate crisis and affirm our largely unexplored capacities to connect with and directly benefit our natural environments.

The book can be downloaded for free at geoffoelsner.com. It features Leslie’s nature photography, lyrics and mp3's of Geoff's songs and a scientific study conceived by him and his close collaborator the neuroscientist and parapsychologist Julia Mossbridge PhD, on the role of intuition in understanding and addressing climate change.

Geoff delights in the supportive friendships and poetry that flourish in the course of the annual Poetry of Nature groups.  He warmly welcomes your participation.

EPUB: Attunements For The Earth 

PDF: Attunements For The Earth

His memoir, A Country Where All Colors Are Sacred and Alive, affirms his belief in our vital capacity to connect with and benefit our natural environment.