The Poetry of Peacebuilding
The month of April is marked in the United States as National Poetry Month. Creative arts has been a part of human expression for millenia. While poetry may simply be viewed as a form of creative writing or even entertainment, it can also play an important role in peacebuilding efforts. Poetry has the power to bring people of different cultural, religious or even political backgrounds together, to share stories and experiences that transcend cultural and linguistic barriers. Poetry can also be an opportunity for marginalized voices to be heard and for difficult issues to be addressed in a creative and non-violent manner.
In support of this creative peace practice, Euphrates has gathered a few poems from members of our community to share.
++++++++
I love you,
oh broken one,
I see your efforts,
I admire your strength,
I know your pain,
I feel your loneliness,
I have felt every tear
that trickled down from your eyes,
I also know the weight of those
that you swallowed back in.
I know your love for one and all,
I witness how you fill your
words with honesty
and your actions with sincerity,
Even when no one sees you,
just like God,
I too see your beauty,
the gift of being grateful,
in the middle of suffering,
the art of smiling,
with a heart of full of sorrow!
Know that in the moments
of utter loneliness,
I am looking at you,
I will not judge you anymore,
I am sorry for being hard on you,
You are mine and I am yours,
Do not be dismayed and discouraged,
know that we will thrive while on earth
and make it home alright someday,
I love you, dear inner being!
— Anjana Dayal De Prewitt, PPA 2023
The Priceless Possession
Peace! What so much Peace!
Inner peace is self-created
Inner peace is achievable.
Inner peace is the sole purpose of life.
How happy I am to have this precious gold.
Birds chirping, world at war,
But inner peace calms.
When everything seems upset,
Inner peace rules.
No matter the cost, inner peace is more expensive.
A priceless Possession, not by attaining luxuries.
Inner peace lies within and radiates when watered!!
— Oluchi Achi Uzodimma, PPA 2021
The Following...
I am,
the bird gliding in the storm,
the many colors of the rainbow,
the rumbling of the thunder,
the harmony of celestial grandeur,
the beauty of innocence,
the majesty of sacrifice,
the splendor of the ceaseless tides,
the echoes in the silent silence,
the mystery of excellence,
peace and its essence!
— Irimekyen Salome Samuel, PPA 2023
Listening with the heart
I am in a castle dark....
Bustling with life inside,
On closer look, it is crumbling, falling apart...
The noises get loud.
They are booming, thundering....
The fear growing inside leaves me shuddering...
The foreign sounds raise my alarm.
It's hard to believe that they mean no harm.
So I reclaim my space,
And with a puff of air,
I prepare to face.
With a hefty voice,
I add to the noise
Until all that is left is a deafening clamour.
So I pause. I breathe.
I see through the darkness...
It's just the two of us, with chatty minds...
You hold my hand and take a deep breath
And I say to you, "sorry for the mess".
You say,
"I accepted the apology long ago
When you shut your ears and used your heart to listen......"
— Tamana Slathia, PPA 2023