Every February, for the past four years, I have joined a group to write and exchange postcards with a different poem or thought on each one to promote world peace.
I'm constantly looking for inspiration to write my poems, so it keeps my head in a positive space which is good for my health and mental well being. I also enjoy creating my own postcards, although sometimes I buy a few. I've used collage, watercolor, alcohol ink, and pastels to make original cards. I've bought from local artists for others. I bought several from Mt. Vernon's tulip farms two years ago. After flooding that spring, there weren't so many tulips so I thought I'd help the cause by buying some postcards with photos from years where the tulips were more plentiful. I've said before, I like helping local farms. Yep.
My poems are inspired from nature, from the pictures on my postcards, or from whatever I might be experiencing in life.
This year I wrote one about the peace poetry project:
Arms wide
hands clasped across borders,
a picnic with potluck dishes
made of poems
and served on postcards
sent around the world
with words of hope
whispering thoughts of peace.
My group had people from Wisconsin, Maryland, Connecticut, Florida, Washington State, California, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, and Victoria, British Columbia and Quebec, Canada as well as Australia! Reaching out and touching the lives of other people make us all stronger and remind us that we are all in this world together, doing our best.
Now I'm preparing a selection of my many peace poems to read at a poetry reading on St. Patrick's Day at Whatcom Art Center, in Bellingham's Fairhaven District. It's free and starts at 6 pm. I'm sharing the "stage" with John S. Green who is showing us photos from his 6 weeks in Palestine last year as well as poems inspired by his trip. Then my co-conspirator on this venture, the one and only Wizard Azanon, aka Jeffrey St. Rose, renowned energy healer, poet, musician and podcaster will share some of his metaphysical poetry, written to help you expand your consciousness - really deep, thought-provoking, while lyrical poems. Next up is my fellow Whatcom Writer and Publishers friend who just published her book of poems, Eileen Coulton's "Postcards from Autism". It's fresh off the press and I'm very excited for her. I think we all know someone with autism. She has a daughter with autism; I have two great-nephews with autism. Then I'll finish up with my vignettes into the peaceful world. Hopefully everyone leaves feeling positive. We are tucking in an intermission before we are done with readings, so there will be a chance for that all important social interaction as well as opportunities for book signings.
I will be sharing more of my peace poems in future blogs, as I did share a few last year. Some of them are inside the origami cards I've been making lately. My fun has been full of art and writing and nature.
In these chaotic times, we need space to find peace. I find mine by painting, writing, walking, reading (mostly fantasy novels these days), watching cooking shows, playing ping pong, and interacting with friends and family.
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