the white dove
of peace endures
churchless
Elsje Winnubst
New Zealand
We are
As complex as mycelium networks knotted by night,
as simple as a single buttercup in bloom.
As violent as the wildest of winter storms,
as gentle as a feather across palms.
As dark as a murder of Crows in flight,
as light as Skylarks surfing the summer breeze.
As cruel as wildfire reducing forests to dust,
as loving as spring sowing wildflowers between toes.
As inhumane and humane, as the sum of all our hearts.
Ally Hammock
no memory of us
or our wars -
wind through the pines
Deborah A Bennett
USA
Brave
I’m brave.
Braver than you.
Braver than mammy.
Braver than daddy.
Braver than my brother.
He waves his plastic sword.
I’ll fight the bad guys,
I’ll bump their heads.
Little brother,
Still truly fearless.
Climbs a chair to reach
The giddy heights of the windowsill.
To stare, mouth pressed against the glass
At fireworks in the autumn sky.
The reds and oranges
Reflected in his shining eyes.
How lucky are we,
Who can play at being brave,
How lucky.
Niamh Donnellan
Irelandautumn prayer circle—
yellow leaves graze my bare head
and her hijab
Miriam Sagan
USAHere’s To….
Provence, France
… a mid-summer sky of indelible
blue, unspooling without defect,
while the afternoon’s aglide
upon a mistral wind, rising and
falling in slow seduction and giving
way to the pale purpling of dusk
when it releases scents of wet
leaves and a petal-fresh earth
wanting to amplify the hour and
the healing art of bound-for-heaven
birdsong rising through blossoming
thickets, pouring into us, while
the unblinking moon slowly climbs
over dry-stone walls and through
the mottled arms of sycamores
spilling its light and leaving to
a flight of swallows, with their
wide, cursive loops, the task of
creating the florid miniature to
this day’s illuminated manuscript.
John Muro
USA
Lest we forget.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.
-From For the Fallen by Robert Laurence Binyon
You can read the full poem here.
The Wee Sparrow Poetry Press stands with all victims of violence, war, terrorism and genocide.
We will be sharing poems about peace on a rolling basis through our free newsletter. You can submit your peaceful words to theweesparrowpoetrypress@gmail.com. Put your poem (one per poet) in the body of your email along with your name and country of residence, and write “peace” in the subject line.
A wee reminder -
Stay well and stay creative, you lovely lot.
Claire
Illustration and watercolours by Colin Thom.
✌🏼 💛 ☮️
Great poetry. Good to see it being used as w medium for a message. Much as I love poetry about personal trauma I much prefer this type