The Other Side of Sorrow

On Sunday, I was invited to the Poetry Society of New Hampshire's unveiling of the new anthology of poems that the Poets Society created or should I say my friend, Pat Frisella, the president worked tirelessly for months making this work come together. The book is entitled "The Other Side of Sorrow" Poets speak out about Conflict, War and Peace. It was a deeply moving response to the events of 9/11, wars present and past and written reactions by about 120 poets. There is no way for me to convey the feelings one has when sitting among so many passionate people listening to work which comes from the heart, direct experience from war, and from loss. I wanted to share one poem with you today as well as let you go hear a NH Public radio interview with Pat and if you are interested in the book, you can contact River Run Book Store (a stronghold among bookstore in Portsmouth, NH) at 603.431.2100 or email Pat for a copy. There are over 250 poems in the paperback which has been beautifully created by Hobblebush books out of Brookline, NH. The image is a photograph that writer, Hannelore Hahn took of the fingerprints on the World Trade Center revolving doors on July 31, 2001. It was incorporated into the cover of the poetry book and is a perfect representation of the contents. Hannelore writes "Each life is sacred, each life is unique". Words for warring nations to live by.

The word for the day is ... stir ... as in what art in all forms can do for ones emotions, to create one by an action, and in "stir it up" a favorite song.

Imprint, Tiananmen Square
by Priscilla Burlingham

The Man who stood
before the tank
a wingless bird
with a giant's heart
they caged him anyway

Now we see him
through Goya's eyes
etched and inked
in black and grey

Looking back from
the curve of the world
at the body
he should have had

Moon for eye
his hand held up
to scatter tanks
like frightened sheep

No cage is large enough
for his kind
quills are forming
we have felt the boom
of his sonic heart