This is for the quietly wild men and women of the world.

The ones who gently conceal their claws and wings—fangs and fur—beneath delicate cotton until the moment is ripe for revelation.

The ones who could almost pass for tame were it not for a mad glimmer in their eyes.

The ones who surprise when they “let go” in moments of self-expression, though they only do as Nature demands of them.

I hear you.

Your voices may be soft, but the untamed explosion of your minds is louder than loud. Your rage may be quiet, yet your ecstasy calls boldly from the treetops.

This is for the ones who know how to use a knife and fork, but enjoy nothing more than tearing into a meal with nails and teeth.

The creatures that metamorphose seamlessly from loving sisters to ferocious wolves; from nurturing mothers to commanding sibyls; and from upstanding gentlemen to bellowing leviathans.

This is for the extraordinary beings who practice their magic under the noses of the suspicious, the incredulous, and the frightened.

Those who prowl when they walk—howl when they sing.

I hear you.

Yours is a wildness that cannot be subdued. For the world can never tame what stalks surreptitiously within its ranks.

When you do yell, it is deafening; when you open your jaws to have your say, your roars drown out the oceans.

Yours is a wildness that simmers just beneath the surface, always at the ready. Your instincts are sharp but your edges smooth—your power a whispered threat, draped in soft words.

If you have ever questioned your seeming gentleness, rest easy—such superficial trappings serve only to protect your wild depths.

Roam, roar, shout and stomp—quietly—as you evade the traps society has set for you. Your quietness is a miracle of evolution. I honor your quietly wild existence and your fierce, quiet wildness. These are a necessary element of humanity.

You are magnificent, and I hear you.

Relephant Read:

8 Quotes for Wild Ones Lost in the Unknown.

Author: Toby Israel

Editor: Emily Bartran 

Photos: Used with Permission from Paula McHenry Barkmeier