Poetry Friday: Mosaic for International Peace Day

Last week Michelle Barnes at Today’s Little Ditty invited everyone to celebrate the International Day of Peace on September 21. That’s today! The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by a United Nation’s Resolution. (It was even unanimous–who could vote against a day of peace?) It is a day for each of us to commit to building a culture of peace. Michelle offered a warm up of Five for Friday party: Write five words (plus a title if you wish) that express what peace means to you. Here are the five words I came up with last week:

Pray
Everywhere Always–
Create Eternity

Through these decidedly less-than-peaceful times, I have turned to poetry to help me understand–and maybe even make my corner of the world a little better. A couple of weeks ago I shared some poems by Langston Hughes that seemed just as relevant today. Last week, Michelle Kogan took one of those poems, “I Dream a World,” and wrote a Golden Shovel poem. (If you aren’t familiar with this poetic form, learn more about it here.) Her poem, “FREE–AN ECHO TO LANGSTON HUHGES,” echoes and builds on the message Hughes shares in the original. Like Michelle, I’ve had Hughes’ poem on my mind–I’ve even memorized it. Since I had wanted to try a Golden Shovel poem myself, I let Michelle inspire me to try it with this same poem, but I did choose another line to work with.

MOSAIC

Who am I
to dream
of peace in a
fragmented world?
Justice shatters like broken glass where
fear and prejudice judge a man
for the color of his skin. No
longer can we see the other
as less than any of us. Every man,
woman, child—even us—will
crack beneath this scorn
that blinds us to each other. Where
will we learn to see with love
instead of fear? Where will
we learn to bless
the broken lives and pick up the
slivers scattered across the earth?
Can we create a new mosaic of you and
I—no matter our race or creed? Peace
will then become a kaleidoscope that shines its
light along a new path
and will our lives adorn.

I have one other offering for International Peace Day. Way back when I was in college (I graduated in 1991), I took a course in political nonviolence. I kept several of the texts from the course, and one seemed appropriate to share: How Peace Came to the World edited by Earl W. Foell and Richard A. Nenneman. It is a collection of winning essays that imagine how peace might come to our world. The Christian Science Monitor sponsored the contest back in the 1980’s. Back then the biggest threat to peace was the possibility of nuclear holocaust, especially from war between the United States and the Soviet Union. While the Soviet Union no longer exists, threats to peace have multiplied. I haven’t had a chance to reread all of the essays again, but I am struck by how much in them remains true all these years later. How do you imagine peace coming to our world?

Check out all that is going on across the internet for International Peace Day. Margarita Engle, our Children’s Poet Laureate in the USA, and Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, childen’s poet and today’s host, have led the way by providing a way for us all to share art and writing that promotes peace. Check out the padlet for books, poems, images, classroom activities and more. You can also use the image (above) of the papercut by Dylan Metrano as your profile picture today on social media. Explore and share these resources today and beyond.

Each Friday, I am excited to take part in Poetry Friday, where writers share their love of all things poetry. Amy has the Poetry Friday Roundup today at The Poem Farm. This week has lots to celebrate with the book birthday on Tuesday for her newest book Read! Read! Read! I can’t wait to read it myself! Stop by and see what poetry morsels are offered this week. 

Disclosure: I participate in the Amazon Associates Program. If you decide to make a purchase by clicking on the affiliate links, including in the linked picture above. Amazon will pay me a commission. This commission doesn’t cost you any extra. All opinions are my own.

18 Comments on Poetry Friday: Mosaic for International Peace Day

  1. Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
    September 25, 2017 at 4:18 pm (7 years ago)

    “Can we create a new mosaic…?” Your hope is mine. With poems and sharing such as yours here today, my hope is rekindled. Thank you. We all need each other. We need words and sharing…and poems bring light. Peace. x

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      September 25, 2017 at 8:30 pm (7 years ago)

      Thank you, Amy. I am hopeful, too. Words are powerful, and I am thankful for this community that nurtures compassion and empathy.

      Reply
  2. Heidi Mordhorst
    September 24, 2017 at 8:27 am (7 years ago)

    Great post, Kay, and I missed Michelle’s golden shovel last week, so I’m glad I’m catching yours here. I agree that one of the strengths of the golden shovel, if we pull it off, is that it carries the resonant weight of the anchor or springboard poem as well as the new meanings. Like others I’m admiring the extended mosaic metaphor. Peace to you!scarces

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      September 25, 2017 at 11:55 am (7 years ago)

      Thanks, Heidi. I hope the mosaic metaphor can be one we build on in real life, too. There so much beauty waiting to be discovered and created–even from things that are broken.

      Reply
  3. Michelle Kogan
    September 23, 2017 at 8:41 pm (7 years ago)

    I really like the parallels and metaphors you’ve created in your poem Kay, “Justice shatters like broken glass where,” and then picked up again later with, “the broken lives and pick up the
    slivers scattered across the earth?” Likening our uniqueness and individuality in your line,”create a new mosaic of you and I—no matter our race or creed?,” and ending with “become a kaleidoscope,” which echoes back to the slivers and broken glass. Well done, your poem and call for peace balances with Hughes’ line that you built off of!

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      September 25, 2017 at 11:53 am (7 years ago)

      Thank you, Michelle. I hoped the mosaic/kaleidoscope metaphor would work. I see so much brokenness in our world and want to be able to build something beautiful from it.

      Reply
  4. Robyn Hood Black
    September 23, 2017 at 12:01 am (7 years ago)

    First, I just LOVE the amazing works created by these inspirations zinging all around the PF community. I’m going to have to try a Golden Shovel! Yours is a treasure, and the mosaic imagery is perfect. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      September 25, 2017 at 11:52 am (7 years ago)

      Thank you, Robyn. I agree that I, too, LOVE the inspiration zinging around and all the poems being crafted in response. I hope you try the Golden Shovel form. It’s one I want to try again.

      Reply
  5. Buffy Silverman
    September 22, 2017 at 9:22 pm (7 years ago)

    What a lovely image–creating a mosaic from our fragmented world and peace shining like a kaleidoscope. Thanks for sharing it Kay!

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      September 25, 2017 at 11:51 am (7 years ago)

      Thanks, Buffy. I’m glad the mosaic image works!

      Reply
  6. Ramona
    September 22, 2017 at 8:55 pm (7 years ago)

    I am so impressed with the poem you created. So much to love here, especially building a kaleidoscope of peace. Thanks for sharing the links.

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      September 25, 2017 at 11:51 am (7 years ago)

      Thank you, Ramona. I hope we can build a groundswell of love to overcome the rising hate.

      Reply
  7. Brenda Harsham
    September 22, 2017 at 1:36 pm (7 years ago)

    You did such a good job with the golden shovel, Kay. Like Irene, I am still thinking of the kaleidoscope. I like the idea of us fitting together in a mosaic. It’s a little like the image of Ruth’s poem, the puzzle pieces. I love PF, and how all the posts together bring out ideas and inspiration.

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      September 22, 2017 at 1:51 pm (7 years ago)

      Thanks, Brenda. I wanted to play with the idea of broken things being created anew–like broken glass into a mosaic, which remind me of kaleidoscopes which give a different perspective. I do have hope that we can piece together peace even from the chaos around us. And yes, I love PF and am inspired every week.

      Reply
  8. Irene Latham
    September 22, 2017 at 8:45 am (7 years ago)

    Kay, thank you for sharing your poem! I love thinking of that kaleidescope. Lovely!

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      September 22, 2017 at 10:44 am (7 years ago)

      Thanks, Irene.

      Reply
  9. KatApel
    September 22, 2017 at 8:03 am (7 years ago)

    More and more I am loving the golden shovel form. It just seems to produce such eloquent poems. You have done a beautiful job with this, Kay. Keep sharing the peace – and the joy.

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      September 22, 2017 at 10:42 am (7 years ago)

      Thanks, Kat. I have enjoyed reading many golden shovel poems, and I like it even more after writing one myself. Most of all, I like the layers and connections found in it as one poem/poet talks with another

      Reply

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