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Of course you know it’s Poetry Month…
but do you know that
the wonderful and
mouth-wateringly
delicious Jama Rattigan
has herded poet bloggers
in the Kidlitosphere onto
her site  this month?

Thank you, Jama!

 

(And check out my group blog,
TeachingAuthors.com!
Every Friday when we talk
poetry, poetry, poetry!)

 

I write a poem each day; during Poetry Month 2015 I’m sharing *PPPs 

Welcome to Poetry Month 2015!

Eli and I will be feeding you one PPP per day for Poetry Month this year.  What is a PPP, you ask?  A *Previously Published Poem.  I have so many poems in so many anthologies, books and magazines, Eli thought I should snap a leash on one each day this month and give it a walk around the block.  So that’s what we’re doing this year.  Enjoy!

(once you click on the title of the poem to the right,
the post shows up below ↓ )

April 6

13 WAYS OF LOOKING AT PEACE

13 WAYS OF LOOKING AT PEACE
by April Halprin Wayland

“It is an historic milestone of immense proportions. It has never happened before—never in human history—and it is happening now—every day—every hour—waging peace through a global conversation…”
~ paraphrased from a March, 2003 speech by Dr. Robert Muller, former assistant secretary general of the United Nations, now Chancellor Emeritus of the University of Peace in Costa Rica

Passing cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C.,
a cab driver teaches the chorus of a peace song

to the woman with freckled arms from Malibu,
who gives him a big tip and runs up the hotel stairs two at a time
to write a letter to the editor

who tilts back in his squeaky chair and reads it
by the light from his arched window and then publishes her letter

which my uncle Chucky reads in Anchorage,
inspiring him to write a peace poem on the blackboard

which Ruthie reads, whispering it to herself twice,
then copies down on notebook paper,
folds, puts in her back pocket,
and when she gets home, smoothes out and emails

to Renee in Sweden
who !!!!loves!!!! it and immediately !!!!forwards!!! it
to Finley in Hong Kong, Alice in New York,
Fadi in Beirut, Lyra in Moscow,

and Bruce near Netanya,
who reads it at a candlelight vigil by the beach

which is broadcast to Saralee in Buenos Aires
(petting Spartacus, who is shedding all over the bed),

who phones Ross, telling him to turn on the radio,
Good old Ross, who is eating soft vanilla ice cream as he listens,
Ross, who takes out a napkin and his guitar,
and turns it into a song

*   *   *

This,” Dr. Muller says, “is a miracle. This is what ‘waging peace’ looks like.”

Included in LINES IN THE SAND—New Writing on War and Peace,
edited by Mary Hoffman and Rhiannon Lassiter (Frances Lincoln, 2003)—
American version 2003 from Disinformation Company

 

poem © 2015 April Halprin Wayland. All rights reserved

3 Responses to “13 WAYS OF LOOKING AT PEACE”

1. Robyn Hood Black says:

   April 6, 2015 at 7:46 am

   Wow, April – This is just timeless, and gives me chills to ponder. Thanks for the post so it can live in my head – and others – today, too!

   [Would you believe my favorite line might be: "(petting Spartacus, who is shedding all over the bed)"... - of course you would.]
2. April Halprin Wayland says:

   April 6, 2015 at 2:17 pm

   Robin–my friend Ross’old dog really was named Spartacus…
3. JoAnn Early Macken says:

   April 7, 2015 at 9:56 am

   Oh, April, this is gorgeous & thought-provoking. It makes me want to speak out, write letters, spread the good word, sing! xox

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