Bethany Reid

Peace Poems, Volume Two Bethany Reid

An outstanding poetry collection of international voices that opens hearts and minds to the challenges of peace today. Readers of all ages hear the witness of a person who has chosen to dwell in and speak out of his or her particular moment, a moment of political turmoil (a global phenomenon and not isolated to the U. S. or Canada), in which war and other acts of violence abound. These poems remind us that peace-making can occur only on the ground on which we stand - even if it looks as though we are merely sitting there, scribbling. Scott Stodola writes, "this life / this life is our only house," and C. J. Prince, in the same vein, reminds us, that we must "go inside [the] heart for peace." Peace is not the opposite of war, as Ashok Bhargava reminds us, and "a single ray of peace is plenty to fire hope / in the dark abyss of [our] desperation." In these words and rhythms of peace and resistance to conflict, we feel our skin prickle in the unrelenting movement toward quietude, mutual regard, and understanding needed for a peaceful future. Peace Poems Two offers voices of twenty-seven poets of Cascadia (Whatcom County and British Columbia) who are part of a worldwide community writing on peace. Coming together in this volume with their individual perspectives, they are published writers, scholars, parents, travelers, and activists who work on their craft providing considerations and insights.