My poem "mourning haiku" is my contribution to today's Blog Carnival, which takes as its prompt the word "peace". Sponsored by Peter Pollock of "Rediscovering the Church" and Bridget Chumbley of "One Word at a Time", the Blog Carnival accepts contributions throughout the day. For links to others' offerings, go here, where Bridget is keeping track.
mourning haiku
Everything says back, "I am present, too."*
Everything says back, "I am present, too."*
jasmine-sweetened air
banana mango and palm
emptied hungering
peace I leave with you
banana mango and palm
emptied hungering
peace I leave with you
family parish nation
do not be afraid
do not be afraid
joy surrendered once
mourning came, then afternoon
earth stripped dreams from stars
forget: to forget
counting takes time hands open
hearts give up their due
forget: to forget
counting takes time hands open
hearts give up their due
remnants of some song
night's weeping, day's silencings
souls' peace on the prowl
do not be afraid
red tape paper walls souls' search
my peace I give you
do not be afraid
red tape paper walls souls' search
my peace I give you
Copyright © 2010 Maureen E. Doallas. All Rights Reserved.
_______________________The lines "peace I leave with you", "do not be afraid", and "my peace I give you" are from John 14:27.
REMEMBER Haiti!
I am sponsoring today a Challenge for Haiti that will benefit the Vassar Haiti Project. Please see my announcement here. I wrote about the VHP here.
I show below the badge for another nonprofit doing marvelous work in Haiti: Paul Farmer's Partners in Health. The organization has been delivering health care to Haiti's poorest populations for more than two decades.
Other relief aid organizations to consider are listed here.
Need a Badge?
Go here if you'd like to grab a badge for your blog. (One of more than 575 is shown below. You may also make your own on the site.)
Other Ways You May Help:
Composer Cynthia Kendall has created a beautiful and haunting piece, "Tears for Haiti", that is posted on her own Website and on the VHP Website. The video, containing images of Haitian art provided by the Vassar Haiti Project, may be downloaded when a donation is made via Kendall's site.
The Vassar Haiti Project is holding a sale of 200 Haitian paintings, silk scarves, jewelry, iron sculpture, and unique gifts at the Solomon Schechter School in Hartsdale, New York, on January 31, 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the VHP's earthquake emergency-relief fund for Port-au-Prince, home to many VHP-affiliated artists and the VHP's education initiatives. More information is available here.
Others Participating in My Challenge
Bridget will be donating to WorldVision.
Joyce will be donating to Vassar Haiti Project.
Diane will be donating to Partners in Health.
Louise
Robin
Heather will be donating to Week of Compassion.
Kevin will be donating to Fellowship Agency for International Relief.
Ginny will be donating to Samaritan's Purse International Relief.
Joanne will be donating to Samaritan's Purse International Relief, too.
JasonS will be donating to WorldVision.
Tsholo will be donating to WorldVision.
Posts
18 comments:
What a cool thing you're doing here, Maureen -- and getting all the others to participate, too. And then you top it off with the beautiful series of haikus.
I'm within you maureen -- and standing by haiti.
Your poem is beautiful, just like your heart.
Maureen ... a beautiful tribute. Thanks for all that you do. My contribution to the Peace poetry is at http://joycewycoff.blogspot.com/.
Maureen, thank you so much for inspiring us to pursue this passion for hope. And I love your poem, love the idea of stringing haiku together. More inspiration!
Wonderful and beautiful words... as always. I think these were especially powerful to me:
remnants of some song
night's weeping, day's silencings
souls' peace on the prowl
Thanks for your efforts for Haiti, Maureen. I hope we get TONS of comments!
"Mo"-You have created a beautiful tribute to a suffering, but enduring society. Haitian culture is so much more than the pathetic images relayed through popular media. I have forwarded the link to VHP to my family and friends. Haiti is in need of critical support, but she also needs our respect.
I an making an additional contribution to the Catholic Relief Services Haitian fund just because you work so passionately.
"Earth stripped dreams from stars"-You certainly have a way of summing things up.
Thank you
Beautiful poem. We need to keep Haiti in our prayers, and like the saying goes, put hands and feet on those prayers.
Thank you Maureen ... How much I love Haiku ... :-)
a haiku of mouring.
this is a wonderful piece, maureen.
and a beautiful act of giving.
aw. You make it easy for us to help Haiti.
This is a beautiful poem. I feel it should be put to music. It would make a beautiful song.
This is wonderful. Thanks for the beauty of your writing and the openness of your heart. You are an inspiration on so many levels!
these are wonderful ... thank you for your caring heart
Achingly lovely words, so marvelous how poetry holds our grief. Thanks so much for doing this, we really all can gather together in the virtual commons and make a difference.
So hope this squeezes in on time. I just read about your link on SheWrites. Wonderful poem; wonderful gesture. Best of luck.
Beautiful Haiku. Poetic, lyrical, meaningful. Truly inspirational.
try writing haiku?
i would if i could honor
the form properly
...So I'll just leave it to you.
Very nicely done, Maureen! And thank you for sponsoring something of such monumental importance.
Thank you! When I worked in San Antonio Texas it was my pleasure to meet two of the pastors that were killed in the Hotel Montana. Both of them were doing work for the United Methodist Committee on Relief. They were hands on leaders and pastors.
Lovely, Bridget's favorite part is also mine.
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