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POETRY OF PLACE

WRITTEN BY YRSA DALEY-WARD

For writer and poet Yrsa Daley-Ward, travel is an act of return. At Alila Ventana Big Sur—surrounded by woodlands and mist-filled mornings—she entered a space that invited stillness, presence, and quiet renewal.

Together, we partnered with Yrsa to create a film inspired by her experience, where her words bring many landscapes to life. Her poem, Poetry of Place, reflects both the worlds Alila guests move through—and the ones they carry within.

Watch the film to experience the journey in verse and visuals.

Yrsa's Journey

What Yrsa found during her first time in Big Sur felt both grounding and expansive. A place to regulate. To breathe. To meet the deeper self that often hides behind the noise. Trace her path through a series of moments—still, grounded, and deeply connected to the land that moved her.

In Her Own Words

Born from her time with Alila, Yrsa’s poem is woven from trees and tides, from sky and soil. It’s a meditation on movement, memory, and returning to yourself in unfamiliar places. While the film offers a glimpse of her journey, Poetry of Place is where the story deepens. Read it at your own pace, or listen aloud, in Yrsa's voice.

Poetry of Place

Return to yourself by taking moments to find a home

in as many new territories as possible. Place is geography, psychology, therapy and balm.

You’re an ecosystem living in an ecosystem.

It is a privilege to wander far and wide, and a skill to receive the breadth of the messages,
the hidden lengths of our love, flowering on unexpected land.

I visit the trees and find new names for myself. I reach a body of water and re-frame my reflection. My feet, earthed in soil, remember themselves, There is a root and a route to every new decision.

The rain makes more lake, more river, more sea

The birds curve exquisite, making loops in the milk sky,

somehow, against all odds,
and somewhere amongst the earth’s perfect commotion,
I am found again.

I consider the origins of our planet-kin, how we might better live amongst one another.

There are hidden answers everywhere –

olive moss on rock, pink slip on nautilus shell, dew drop on spiderweb, deep-truths under the peace of the redwoods,

a body reset, among the abundance of green, enduring life.

Where I am looking for novelty I find reason,
where I was looking for rest I find a new lease of activity.

We stray far from our dreams, but there are old messages, fingerprints, maps back to soul, parts of self, dotted everywhere.

I found the same sun in every new terrain, but she was always new, always improved, forever learning, dancing on architecture, grass, brick and limestone, weather, fruit, and language.

I go to the end of the earth and find new ways to nourish myself, new behaviors that are novel and necessary.

The moon changes position; an acrobat of sorts, the stars hide, or they may make their planets known,

the wind throws expert voice, changes whispering tone.

There is wonder inside of it all, meaning inside of it all. Perhaps you might have noticed the sky turning over and out, over and out in perfect rhythm?

Maybe you have seen the leaves gather and scatter and brown and cease

the flora and fauna bare and bloom,
bloom and bare,

the transcendent gradient of the sky
– how the horizon purples, sighs,
sinks into decadent rust.

Because these are the Moments that make us.
-Yrsa Daley-Ward

Beyond Words: One on One with Yrsa

In this exclusive conversation, Yrsa reflects on her time with Alila—how nature became teacher, how travel became mirror. She speaks about language as a landscape of its own, the power of stillness, and the responsibility of noticing.

Yrsa’s Moment

Alila Moments are carefully crafted experiences designed to immerse you fully in the unique spirit of each destination, inviting you to engage with its stories, rhythms, and natural beauty on a deeper level. Set among redwoods and quiet ridgelines, Yrsa co-created a journey designed to do just that.

Nature's Muse: A Poetic Journey in Big Sur

Nature's Muse: A Poetic Journey in Big Sur

By YRSA DALEY-WARD

Explore more

Paths To Travel Further

Alila Moments are designed to move you—each one thoughtfully crafted to reflect what matters most to each of us. Whether you seek renewal, connection, awe, or creative inspiration, there’s a Moment to match your journey.

Wellness

Discover time-honored rituals and natural practices unique to each destination, designed to bring you back to yourself, and into balance with the world around you.

View Moments

Culture & Community

Engage with local traditions, voices, and everyday life. These Moments offer genuine connection and the chance to leave a positive trace through thoughtful collaboration.

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Nature & Sustainability

Connect with landscapes shaped by time, where nature’s beauty invites quiet reflection and exploration. These Moments bring you closer to the land in its purest form.

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Creativity & Expression

These are Moments for making—of meaning, of memory, of art. Step into workshops, wander into inspiration, and let the destination become part of what you create.

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Sustainability & Stewardship

Engage with the land and its communities through purposeful experiences. These Moments foster a lasting connection to the environment and its people.

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History & Heritage

Explore the stories and traditions that define each place. These Moments offer rare access to the past, keeping heritage alive through meaningful experiences.

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Spirituality & Ritual

Experience sacred rituals and traditions that invite reflection and connection. These Moments offer the space to engage with both the spiritual and the self.

View Moments

A World Told in Three Voices

Our story unfolds through four distinct poems—Yrsa’s, another by Lang Leav, and two by Nikita Gill. Explore these voices and see how Alila invites each poet to connect with the land, the people, and the essence of place.

POETRY OF OUR WORLD

By WRITTEN BY NIKITA GILL

READ POEM

POETRY OF PEOPLE

By WRITTEN BY LANG LEAV

READ POEM

POETRY OF WONDER

By WRITTEN BY NIKITA GILL

READ POEM

What World Awaits You?

Across continents and cultures, Alila destinations invite you to see the world differently—and feel more deeply as you move through it.