A Better Way
In March 2023, when I published Dr. Tess Lawrie’s planet-shaking reading of Mistakes Were NOT Made: An Anthem for Justice, I shared a message Tess had written to accompany the video. She concluded her note with:
“I look forward to reading your Better Way poem.”
Today, I am delighted to publish that poem—just in time for the Better Way Conference in Rhode Island this weekend. You can still purchase tickets—including a virtual pass if you can’t attend in person (use LAWRIE10 to get 10 percent off).
When I shared a draft of the poem with Tess, she replied:
This is wonderful!!!! You have captured the sentiment beautifully.
Tess also made some excellent suggestions, several of which I incorporated or adapted. I am grateful to Tess for inspiring this poem and helping me to hone it into a piece that I hope will encourage others to discover their own Better Way.
A Better Way
by Margaret Anna Alice
“Arm yourself for action with these two thoughts: first, do only what your sovereign and lawgiving reason tells you is for the good of others; and second, do not hesitate to change course if someone is able to show you where you are mistaken or point out a better way.”
—Marcus Aurelius, The Emperor’s Handbook: A New Translation of The Meditations, Book 4:12
When the river meets the rock, it flows around it.
When the root finds the stone, it grows through it.
When the sun glints the mountain, it encircles it.
When the ocean greets the land, it rolls over it.
There is a better way.
When the rain falls on the leaf, it drips down it.
When the thunder claps the hill, it roars along it.
When the wind comes to the tree, it breathes through it.
When the rainbow touches the sea, it embraces it.
There is a better way.
When the seed confronts the gravel, it shoots above it.
When the kernel strikes the ground, it burrows into it.
When the pupa fills the cocoon, she stretches through it.
When the fledgling outgrows the nest, he flaps away from it.
There is a better way.
When the ants encounter the moat, they link across it.
When the bees brush the thistle, they pollinate it.
When the salmon sight the waterfall, they leap into it.
When the starlings reach the cloud, they murmur through it.
There is a better way.
When the body senses infection, it repels it.
When the heart feels malice, it expands beyond it.
When the mind hits the wall, it transcends it.
When the palm faces the fist, it wraps around it.
There is a better way.
When the corrupt usurp an industry, we stop buying.
When the tyrannical seize a government, we stop obeying.
When the deceiving tell a story, we stop trusting.
When the murderous gift a solution, we stop accepting.
Then we make a better way—united, together.
We act in honour and do no harm.
We value life with meaning and purpose.
We thrive together.
We value different perspectives.
We use technology with discernment.
We are sovereign and have free will.
We are part of nature.
We stand up for our rights and freedoms.
We ARE a Better Way.
© Margaret Anna Alice, LLC
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🌎 Still Time to Get Tickets for the Better Way Conference!
Virtual Tickets Available If You Can’t Attend!
📆 Save the Dates: May 29–31, 2026
Rhode Island • Speakers
Gala Dinner: Friday, May 29, 2026 (evening)
Conference Dates: May 30–31, 2026
Cancer Workshop: May 31 (during lunch break)
💸 Get 10-percent off with basket code LAWRIE10
You can still get tickets for the upcoming Better Way Conference in Rhode Island! I will be there and hope to see you, too.
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I love this, Margaret. We take our cues from Nature (when we are wise).
Beautiful in breadth and depth and crystal clear in expression. You are so meant for - and essential to - these times.
XOX
A mighty poem, Margaret Anna Alice. Truly a bold statement told beautifully. I will read it again and again! Thank you!