As the Wild Geese Fly
A small story of connections, longings, poetry, and a deepening awareness of wild nature
A small story of connections, longings, poetry, and a deepening awareness of wild nature.
Written as an offering in reverence for nature and our enduring connections with one another, As the Wild Geese Fly touches on hope, friendship, and the chance to begin reimagining the narrative of one’s life.
The story focuses on a few days in the life of a young cultural writer, Rachel Shaw, as she sets off on a journey of self-discovery after finding a book of poems written by a quiet, reflective man, Richard Carraway, for his granddaughter, Bccky. Deeply inspired by Richard’s words and the example of his life – living on an estuary, close to the land – Rachel is forever changed through the experience of meeting him.
They soon find themselves back alongside the tangled hedgerows, with Richard’s cottage a short distance away, beyond the meadow. The air is warm and salty, and it smells of grasses and washed-up kelp drying along the riverbank, and everything feels touched with soulfulness and a-flow with life. Stopping to stand awhile, Rachel watches Richard walking ahead, and she notices the soft evening light catching the profile of his face. He seems relaxed as he talks quietly to Daisy, and she feels overcome with wonder, finding herself here with him.
© As the Wild Geese Fly
The narrative explores a young woman’s longing for meaning and connection; it is filled with poetry, music, and a deep appreciation for nature and the English countryside.
Over the years, and having worked in wildlife and wilderness conservation, I have seen that it is through our emotional connections with nature that we are motivated to protect it, and I hope this small story will encourage deeper reflection on the natural world and our ever-changing place in it.
Belinda 2025
Excerpt from
the story
‘…yesterday, quite by chance, I came across one of the entrants, a little book by someone called Becky Carraway. She's self-published a collection of anecdotal poems written by her grandfather, Richard, and it’s… well, it’s charming, overflowing with touching memories and with his love for her. I think he lives near an estuary on the west coast, and from his spiritual connection to the land, which he writes about so sensitively in his poems, he seems enigmatic… just different in some way. I can’t really articulate this sense I have of him.’
RACHEL SHAW
© As the Wild Geese Fly
FEEDBACK
A poignant and thoughtful exploration of how noticing small moments and looking more deeply at the world around us can profoundly impact our lives. Richard's character in particular was very moving...
E.C.
FEEDBACK
This story has a gentle quality that took my mind off things. I especially enjoyed Rachel’s visit to the river to meet Richard and can appreciate why she was taken by him.
L.M.
Excerpt from
the story
‘When we were together on the river, he was very much leading the way – he has a natural assuredness, which I picked up instantly. And yet, throughout the experience, I was minutely fine-tuned to something else – something sad that seemed to be there all the time, resting below the surface. And it had such an effect on me...’
RACHEL SHAW
© As the Wild Geese Fly
AVAILABLE SOON
AMAZON KINDLE | DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
July 2025
