WORLD POETRY SOCIETY NEWSLETTER
Issue 34: The Peace Program Issue
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PUBLISHER: Ariadne Sawyer
CONTACT: World Poetry Publishing
ariadnes@uniserve.com
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CONTENTS:
WELCOME TO ISSUE 34!Dear World Poetry extended family and supporters:
We would like to thank our proofreader, Dr. Lucia Gorea, poet, host of Poetry Around the World, and bestselling author of
ESL Games and Classroom Activities (Lumina Press).
We have a new blog! Starting with this issue of our newsletter, the World Poetry Electronic Newsletter will be available at
www.worldpoetrysociety.blogspot.com. If you would like a printable version of the newsletter, please contact Ariadne at
ariadnes@uniserve.com, and a PDF file will be emailed as an attachment.
We are growing! Our circulation is now 3,800 readers strong, and with your help in spreading our news, we hope to welcome new readers and card carrying World Poetry Society members with each new issue!
We invite and welcome all poets! To become a member of our world wide poetic community, simply email Ariadne for an annual membership form:
ariadnes@uniserve.com. World Poetry membership costs only $30 per year, and benefits include updates, continued newsletter service, members’ discounts to select events and workshops, an official World Poetry membership card, and online publication of your poetry on our forthcoming website!
Highlights of 2008The World Poetry Ecological Poetry Display of 70 selected poems on ecology and was an amazing interactive event, which took place at the Vancouver Public Library during the month of February. Many thanks and appreciation to the VPL, World Poetry volunteers, and volunteer coordinators Ariadne Sawyer and Douglas Bacon. Over 125 poems were written by the library public, 125 eco tips were written by children and youth (a selection of which were read on the World Poetry Café Radio Show), and 17 World Poetry volunteers worked tirelessly at the “Create an Eco-Poem” table. To receive pictures of this special event, contact Ariadne at
ariadnes@uniserve.com.
In March, World Poetry partnered with
Women in Film Vancouver. One video poem by Vera Manuel was shown and four poets performed live at the WIF International Film Festival.
Several special events took place at The Heritage Grill in New Westminster, where World Poetry New Westminster collaborated with the Backroom Theatre Club to participate in programs such as World Poetry and Poetry and
Goby Catt! Jazz (May), the World Poetry Peace Project (September), and The Best of World Poets.
The World Poetry Peace Project displayed 50 poems submitted from Mongolia to Mexico and all points in between! The audience was awed by the readings of several BC poets and storytellers, including Alejandro Mujica Olea, Ariadne Sawyer, Cliff Milne, Dora Sanders, Heidi Mueller, Ibrahim Honjo, Maureen Egan, Patty Holmes, Renée Bucciarelli, Tabatha Visutskie, and Trilby Jeeves. During the month of October, the collection of poems went on display in a setting befitting poetry dedicated to world peace -- the
New Westminster Arts Council Gallery, which is nestled in the heart of the idyllic Queens Park.
The poems are now on their way to Reykjavik, Iceland, where they will be joining the global “wishes for peace” at the
Imagine Peace Tower, which was unveiled on October 9th, 2007 (on the occasion of what would have been John Lennon's 67th birthday), and was conceived of by Yoko Ono Lennon as a monument to world peace and to commemorate the life of her late husband.
Needless to say, it has been so exciting to see the evolution of the peace poems and the enthusiasm of all involved! All poems published in this newsletter are from the World Peace Project and will be included in the poetry collection that is being sent to the Imagine Peace Tower in Iceland. Our thanks to the Backroom Theatre Club, the Heritage Grill and the New Westminster Arts Council.
Also in September, the World Poetry Workshop Series kicked off with professor Diego Bastianutti and Bernice Lever facilitating. We’ve been receiving fabulous feedback from participants, so we hope to continue offering the workshops for quite some time to come!
Other events included readings at the Car-Less Festival (June), Summer Dream Festival (July), AfrikaDey (August), Word on the Street (September), Vancouver Pan-African Arts & Film Festival (VPAFF) Kinship Day (September), and Heart of the City (November).
Poet in the SpotlightIn this issue, we are pleased to present Trish Shields from Courtenay, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.
World Poetry StageFeatured poets are Hadaa Sendoo from Mongolia and Dr. Rita Malhotra from India.
Thanks to Readers and Writers Like You!Your suggestions and support are much appreciated -- keep them coming!
Message from Our Co-founderFollowing is a message from our co-founder and co-host, Alejandro Mujica Olea.
(English Translation)
Cherished readers, stars of the universe.
For me it is an incredible happiness to see once again the Electronic Newsletter in this space. Poetry is the last liberty of being human! We are an ample family of many cultures and races that work to create Canadian and world literature.
My affection and a big hug to you all...
--- Alejandro Mujica Olea
Alejandro Mujica Olea is the author of six books; co-founder with Ariadne Sawyer of the World Poetry Reading Series, a monthly poetry reading event with over 400 participants, which takes place at the Vancouver Public Library (Vancouver Canada), and the World Poetry Café, a weekly radio show that airs on Vancouver Co-op Radio (102.7 FM or listen online, at
www.coopradio.org);
and co-founder with other writers of Project Cultural South. Alejandro is also winner of the Poet of the Year award and the Gonzalo Canton Santelices silver medal.~ ~ ~
(Original Spanish)
Querido lectores; estrellas de este universo.
Para mi es motivo de increíble alegra de ver de nuevo La Carta Electrónica en el espacio. Poesia es la ultima libertad del ser humano! Nosotros los poetas somos la amplia familia de muchas culturas y razas que ayudamos a crear la literatura canadiense.
Mis cordiales felicitaciones y un gran abrazo.
--- Alejandro Mujica Olea
Alejandro Mujica Olea, autor de seis libros y fundador junto con Ariadne Sawyer de EL MUNDO DE LA POESIA (400 escritores aproximadamente) en la Biblioteca Publica Central de Vancouver, Canadá y el programa radial EL MUNDO DE LA POESIA en un café en la radio Cooperativa 102.7 FM y en la Internet www.coopradio.org. Fundador junto a otros escritores del Proyecto Cultural Sur Vancouver. Ganador en el 2003 de la Medalla de Plata Gonzalo Cantón Santelices.
WORLD POETRY NEWSWorld Poetry Royalty Selected!Our new World Poetry Royalty has been selected! World Poetry Lifetime Achievement Award winners for 2009 are Bong Ja Ahn and Diego Bastianutti. Congratulations to them both!
The World Poetry Life Celebration (Tagore Utsav)On November 24th at 7 PM, join the World Poetry Reading Series as we celebrate the life of the first Asian Nobel Prize winner, Rabindranath Tagore!
Free Admission to this special event at the Vancouver Public Library, Alice McKay Room (lower level). 350 West Georgia Street, Vancouver BC.
Guest Hosts:
• Ashok Bhargava
• Bong Ja Ahn
Special Guests:
• Consul General of India: Mr. A. Das
• Consul General of the Republic of Korea: Mr. Tong-Mo Suh
Featured Participants:
• Addena Sumter-Freitag
• Alejandro Mujica Olea
• Archana Harit
• Ariadne Sawyer
• Bernice Lever
• Diego Bastianutti
• Shirley Sue-A-Quan
Korean Performers:
• Kayagum Player: Grace Jong Eun Lee
• Mask Dancer: Chang Hyun Han
• Mask Dancer: Han Bin Im
• Mask Dancer: Sung Rai Kim
Indian Performers:
• Musician: Kalpana Prasad
• Dancer: Crystal Sharma
For more info or to request a poster or programme, contact Ariadne Sawyer, at 604-526-4729 or
ariadnes@uniserve.com.
Looking AheadIn 2009, we look forward to another partnership with Women in Film Vancouver, to bring you the best in women’s multicultural and multilingual poetry.
Also in the works for 2009 is a Life Celebration of Rumi, and plans for a Neruda Festival are underway for either 2009 or 2010!
And plans for the annual Gung Haggis Fat Choy World Poetry night at the Vancouver Public Library are also starting to bubble! If the next Chinese New Year's mixture of cultures and poems is anything like last January's event, it will be another experience you will not want to miss!
Use quill and ink, pencil in, or get a big purple crayon to mark your calendars for February 27, 2009 -- the Eighth Annual (that's 8 YEARS!) World Poetry Gala at the VPL!
The World Poetry website (
www.worldpoetry.ca) is under rapid construction and will feature the poems and biographies of World Poetry members, with plans for an online bookstore and giftshop capabilities.
World Poetry Café Radio ShowEach and every Tuesday evening, from 9-10 PM on Vancouver Co-op Radio, World Poetry invites you to access the World Poetry Café Radio Show:
• Tune in to CFRO 102.7 FM.
• Listen live on the Internet, at
www.coopradio.org.
• Hook up to the show on Satellite, at Starchoice 845.
World Poetry Café is a multilingual program of poetry, interviews, and inspiration in English, Spanish, and the language of our guest poet.
Calls for Submission!World Poetry E-Stage!Outside the Greater Vancouver area, send us your poetry in English or Spanish via email to
ariadnes@uniserve.com and we will select the best poems to read live on the radio! If you live inside Metro Vancouver, come to the studio and take part as a featured guest on the World Poetry Café Radio Show!
Canadian Musicians!We are currently looking for Vancouver and Canadian musicians to feature in the opening song of the
Creativity Rocks! radio short. You (and your music) will be featured for one month. This is a great publicity opportunity for up-and-coming and established musicians! A brief bio is required, which will be read on the air. For more information, please contact
ariadnes@uniserve.com.
Join Our World Poetry Radio Family Today!When you become a member of Vancouver Co-op Radio (
www.coopradio.org), you can vote for World Poetry Café as your favourite radio show, and your membership fees will go towards our account, and we can continue to bring you all the exciting news, interviews, inspiration, and ideas in poetry!
POET IN THE SPOTLIGHT: TRISH SHIELDSDear Ariadne,
Please find three peace poems, entitled An Unremarkable Day, in scent coiled nostrils,
and Maracuja.
Naive, I know, but I wish there were a peace-virus that could spread unstopped over the planet.~ ~ ~
An Unremarkable Dayshe sits in the shade cast
by the ruined remains
of a truck rusty red against white
a mirror to the child she holds
her skin a grey shroud
of sand and ash and pain
heat from the dessert sears her
the flames from the huts buffet her
and the body she holds
is no longer stiff and cold
cooking on the grill of a noonday sun
earlier that day
soldiers came to her village
their white faces
offering food and hope
bodies
surged forward
raw with animal need
saliva ropes tying the crowd
together their eyes forward
they should have been watchful
rebels moved swiftly
silently mindlessly forward
the contents of a man's head puddle
briefly before evaporating
leaving a smudge
ignored by all save the wind
her face is dry
as she wanders away
desiccated beneath
an African sky.
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in scent coiled nostrilswe sit and sit
and witness what
we wish we couldn't
with bombed cities
and fatherless children
with missing limbs
motherless children
running free wild homeless
tv blares these truths
twentyfourseven
in glossy chromatic colours
that take the viewer there
amongst the ruination
the degradation
the humiliation of a species
that will not see
we sit and sit
in comfortable houses
with coverlets high
the temp just right
with choco nearby
pinned by the cry
of an already dead child
then sleep
our dreams devoid of loss
we sit and sit
forgetting
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Maracujaheld beneath lush grass
and Kigali's swaying trees
decay lies waiting
birthed by unrelenting rain
whispered on a breeze
© Trish Shields
Courtenay BC, Canada
Trish Shields was born in Saskatchewan, Canada, but grew up in Europe. She has studied creative writing at the Algonquin College in Ottawa, Ontario. Soul Speak,
a book of poetry published by Troubadour Books, was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award in 2001. Trish has two books of poetry published and her work has appeared in numerous anthologies. Her first fictional novel, Inferno,
is published by Baycrest Books. Trish’s poetry and short stories have been published internationally. Her first chapbook, Coast Lines,
was co-authored by Katherine L. Gordon and released in February 2007.
WORLD POETRY STAGEFeatured are two poems by Dr. Rita Malhotra from India and one poem, in both English and Mongolian, by Dr. Hadaa Sendoo from Mongolia. All three poems were featured in the World Poetry Peace Project and display.
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Elsewhere-landthe raft recedes
from the hammered land,
a screaming earth
and blood-raining skies
I leave behind my ripped roots,
the absent coherence
of a people
trapped in hissing flame,
in soot-black fog
of rising smoke.
I leave behind the sinking earth
where evil-tainted wretched roads
lie buried beneath
sediments of human history
memory lingers awhile
before being swept away
by the tide of time
I seek refuge
in the ship’s beckoning arms
as it sets sail
to the else where-land,
the land of peace.
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Peacedistant sea-gulls
trace the homeward path
across silent skies, boundless
above the infinite silver expanse,
draped in swathes of tranquility
harvest of peace!
desert-scape of thoughts
sense of reality lost in
rocking rhythms of nature
soulful brush-strokes of quiet calm
on the mind’s canvas
oasis of peace!
rose and marigold petals
at the temple door and
the embrace of a thousand gods
tame the racing, unheeding time
metamorphosed sensitivity!
in the chorus of the burbling brook,
rustling leaves, the sailing breeze
in time’s soft footfalls
dreams wake up to the
salutation of quietude!
overcome by a finite sense of completeness
realization dawns that
peace is not just a road
nor a direction
peace is an eternal journey. Peace
© Dr Rita Malhotra
New Delhi India
A mathematician by profession, Dr Rita Malhotra is also a poet, essayist, and translator. She is currently a post-graduate faculty member at the Department of Mathematics, Delhi University, and “HOD Mathematics” at Kamala Nehru College, University of Delhi. She has been a post-doctoral Fellow in Mathematics at the University of Paris IX, Dauphine, on a French government fellowship. She has published several research papers in India and abroad and has presented them at various International Conferences. Poetry is a passionate avocation. Her concern for the girl-child and her pain at the exploitation of woman are reflected in many of her creations.~ ~ ~
(English Translation)
Ode to PeacePeace, a good name
It is given by all mankind
It is given by the ones who once suffered from hunger or bled
It is given by the exiles of different nations and countries
It is given by the ones who are homeless
And lead a wretched life in a foreign land
Peace, you have countless suffering brothers and sisters
You have millions upon millions of aged mothers
Who are impatient for their sons returning
As soon as possible from the battlefields with tearful eyes
Peace, your sadness is also my father’s and my motherland’s sadness
Your smiles are the rocks and street lamps smiles
Peace, you are the kiss of the reviving land
The embrace of the ones returning home at night
The laurel wreath woven with the olive-branch worn
On the Olympic champion’s head
The old friend of the sun and the moon
You give us peacefulness, harmoniousness, and happiness
You are just the God; you are just the world and all things on earth
Peace, time appears like a devil in the days without you
Living appears like a well of death without you
The moonlight looks like unremitting rain without you
Peace, in the morning when you come back
Migratory birds can be seen flying over the city
Hands can be seen waving and dancing in the sky
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(Original Mongolian)
БИ ТӨРСӨН НУТАГГҮЙ БИШТөрсөн нутаггүй биш шүү би
Сэтгэл зовсон цагтаа ингэж
Өөрөө өөртөө хэлдэг
Төрсөн нутаг минь ургах наран байлаа
Одоо зэврүүн шөнийн хавирган сар шиг
Хөмсөг зангидаастай
Төрсөн нутаггүй биш шүү би
Тэр минь нуруулдсан нойтон өвс билээ
Хэн ирж түүнийг дэлгэн хатаана
ХОЙД НУТГИЙН ӨВӨЛ
Итгэхгүй байна
Намайг бурхан болсон хойно ч
Ар Өвөр яг одоогийнх шиг хэвээр гэдэгт
Морин хуурийн минь чавхдас
Хааяа гашуун нулимс дуслуулна
Би өтөлсөөр тэгээд
Хойд Азийн өвсөн дунд гүн нойрсоно
Нэг л өглөө мөстсөн тал нутаг
Үүрдийн амгаланг олсон судсанд минь
Эргээд ирнэ
Хэрлэн, Онон, Туул гол шиг
ЯВУУЛСАН ЗУРВАС
Үдшийн бүрэнхий нөмөрнө
Би тал нутгийн хүү
Түнэр харанхуй айсуй
Би аз жаргалд автах
Нэгэн од
Бүх дэлхийд харуулмаар байна
Орь ганцаараа биш !
© Dr. Hadaa Sendoo
Mongolia
Dr Hadaa Sendoo is a Mongolian poet and a Mongolian Writers' Union member. He was born into a good family in 1961. After studying Mongolian in high school, he published his first book of lyric poetry in 1989. Into the 21st century, Hadaa's poetic style has matured and his vision has opened up. His poetry has been translated into English, French, German, Russian, Chinese, Greek, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Arabic, Hebrew, Romanian, Japanese, Korean, Albanian, Turkish and other languages; and he was invited to attend World Poetry festivals. In 2002 he received the honorary degree of Doctor of Literature by the World Acedeme of Arts and Culture. He has won literary awards, which include the Poet of the Millennium Award, the Best International Poet, the International Writers' Association Award, the Literature Achievement Award, the Literature Merit Award, and the Creative Giants Award (2008). He currently teaches at the Mongolian National University, and is editor-in-chief of the Yearbook of World Poetry.
His vision is to become a good poet and a responsible citizen of the world.
CREATIVITY ROCKS!Sandra from Newfoundland writes:
Hi from St. John's!
I have just gotten over a difficult writer’s block and really don’t know how to start writing again. My old writing signs are now back but I am afraid to test them.
What shall I do?~ ~ ~
Hello Sandra,
At this point the old saying, “Just do it!” might be the best approach. Breaking through a writer’s block is like jumping into a lake and remembering how to swim.
- Trust your writing instincts -- they are letting you know that you are ready to write again.
- Write for the writing itself -- without criticizing or editing yourself.
- Write whatever you want to.
- Try different forms, like prose, poetry or even a journal.
- Try different writing moods -- happy, sad, angry, joyful or funny.
- Avoid criticism or editing at this time.
- Keep writing until you feel comfortable with your writing skills once again.
- Focus on enjoyment of your creative process.
Believe in yourself and trust your precious writing skills to re-emerge even better than before. As the painter Picasso once said, "My genius shines most when I work."
Thank you for writing to Creativity Rocks!
--- Ariadne.
Ariadne Sawyer is a Creativity Consultant and has worked with poets, writers, musicians, actors, artists, script writers, and dancers from around the world. Her e-courses, Empowered Dreaming for Creativity
and Peak Performance Plus
are still available; and her book, The Best of Creativity Rocks,
is available in print or electronic format.Creativity Rocks with Listener Questions!If you have a question about the creative process or your own personal creativity, your question may be answered on-air, during the World Poetry Radio Café! Simply send your questions to Ariadne, at
ariadnes@uniserve.com.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & DISCLAIMERI would like to thank the participating poets and writers, the proofreaders, and all those who work to make this newsletter possible.
While all care has been taken in the preparation of this newsletter, changes may occur and no responsibility or liability is accepted by the publisher (Ariadne Sawyer), the proofreader (Dr. Lucia Gorea), or the World Poetry Society membership for the accuracy or intent of the content.
If you wish to subscribe or (Gasp!) unsubscribe from the World Poetry Society’s Electronic Newsletter, please email
ariadnes@uniserve.com.
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