Watercolour by Colin Thom
On Sunday the 2nd of June, a group of poets from different parts of our precious planet joined together to read their wonderful poems of peace. A huge thank you to Alix Klingenberg, Ellen Rowland, Jane Hanson, Emily Tee, Moudi Sbeity, Iya Kiva, Scott Cassidy, Clive Donovan, Alison Sesi, Robert Ray, Chris Barras, Nitika Balaram, Claire Coenen, Patricia Carragon, Louise Goodfield and Sarah Sansbury.
A pdf with all the poems is available to download for free from The Wee Sparrow Poetry Press´ Buy Me a Coffee page here.
Our open mic was also a fundraiser. Thank you to the poets who made donations. We have raised 338 US dollars and a donation has been made by The Wee Sparrow Poetry Press to the NGO Project Hope.
With over 1,000 employees in more than 25 countries across five continents, we work hand-in-hand with local health workers and health systems to provide urgent relief and transformative solutions that drive lasting impact.
At our core is a shared humanity and compassion that stretches across the work we do. We believe that everyone deserves hope, that health is a fundamental human right, and that together we can strengthen access to care around the world.
In the face of unprecedented challenges, we believe hope has the power to change lives — because we see it every day.
We will soon be publishing our fourth paperback anthology, Facing Goodbye, edited and curated by Jane Hanson and Mirjam Mahler with a beautiful foreword by Ellen Rowland. All proceeds will be donated to the International Rescue Committee.
One of Jane´s poems has been put to music.
I wrote the poem for the Goodbye anthology. It was inspired by me having met and spoken to my friend Sahaand, a refugee who managed to travel from his country and make the crossing to the UK. Talking to him and listening to his description of the events made the poem find its own shape and the images are from what he explained to me.
I think poetry is so close to musical lyrics that whilst I was out walking with my dog, the words were going around my head and a kind of rythm and harmony took shape. My friend and talented musician Joel Sakkari did the rest. We sang together and compared notes and this is the outcome.
A trubute to the courage it takes to "Take what you need and leave the rest behind " .
-Jane
You can listen to their song here.
Think of Others By the late Palestinian poet, Mahmoud Darwish As you prepare your breakfast, think of others (do not forget the pigeon´s food). As you wage your wars, think of others (do not forget those who seek peace). As you pay your water bill, think of others (those who are nursed by clouds). As you return home, to your home, think of others (do not forget the people of the camps). As you sleep and count the stars, think of others (those who have nowhere to sleep). As you express yourself in metaphor, think of others (those who have lost their right to speak). As you think of others far away, think of yourself (say: If only I were a candle in the dark).
As always, stay well and stay creative.
Claire
Poems for Peace