March Poetry ~ Snowdrops

Exactly one year ago I was surprised to see a cluster of tiny white snowdrops blooming right through a patch of icy snow by the side of our house. If you remember, a year ago news of the war in Ukraine was just a couple of weeks old. The tenacity of those fragile white flowers inspired me to write this poem.

“With the Strength of Snowdrops”
by Alicia Woodward

Snowdrops pierce through frozen ground
Amid fiery blasts and artillery rounds

Tiny flowers so brave and bright
Show strength in their tenacious fight

Eager blossoms unfurl with glee
Like a flag flying free

Beauty and promise spring after spring
Despite despair the season brings

While man may sow hate and strife
Nature blooms with hope and life

I’m glad I didn’t know then that the war would still be raging one year later.

Or that so many of our country’s problems would still be unresolved.

Or that my own challenges would still be looming large.

We humans sure know how to make a mess of things, don’t we? But God, God stays strong. While we weakly stumble through our days, he lovingly offers us encouraging symbols of strength. God stays faithful, too. Even though we did nothing to deserve it, the snowdrops bloomed again this year. I’m still amazed by their strength, but today I’m struck by their humility. I notice how the flower humbly hangs its head, as if bowing down in prayer. §

“Nor will I then thy modest grace forget,
Chaste Snowdrop, venturous harbinger of Spring
And pensive monitor of fleeting years.”
~William Wordsworth, To a Snowdrop

Poetry & Posters for Peace in Ukraine

A couple of months ago, the creative director of a design agency in Berkley, California asked to use a poem I had recently written in reaction to the War in Ukraine for a global competition called Designers for Peace. This project is a perfect example of my vision for creating more elegance in our lives and in our world.

This juried competition invited designers, art directors, photographers, artists, and illustrators from around the world to create a collection of posters to support the people of Ukraine. Entry fees go directly to nonprofit Ukrainian humanitarian aid funds of World Central Kitchen and International Relief Teams.

The entry form states, “With the recent unprovoked incursion into Ukraine, we have received numerous inquiries about how the creative community can come together to support and aid the victims, the people of Ukraine.” The competition is sponsored by Graphis International, B. Martin Pedersen, and Kit Hinrichs, along with International Design Masters.

Of course, I was thrilled to be included in such an important and creative project. A couple of weeks later, I received a screenshot of the poster featuring my poem that Trinity Brand Group is entering in the worldwide competition. I was immediately drawn to the poster’s bold simplicity, the Ukrainian colors, and the hopeful mood of the design. The company’s creative director, Paul Kagiwada, explained, “We were inspired by traditional Ukrainian embroidery, which uses motifs of garlands of flowers, to show the interconnectivity of the people to create a strong community.”

Whether or not the poster with my poem wins the competition is of little importance. What matters to me is the elegance of this worldwide collaboration to bring awareness, support, and aid to our fellow global citizens experiencing an unjust war that should deeply concern us all. It is my hope and prayer that by the time the posters are judged the war will turn to peace, and the real winners are the courageous people of Ukraine. §

“The art of peace begins with you.”
~Morihei Ueshiba

Featured Art ~ War Can Turn to Peace, design by Trinity Brand Group, 2022

Poetry for Ukraine ~ The Mirror

The Mirror

The mirror has two faces
Look closely, you will see
One is vain and greedy
The other just wants peace

One is the aggressor
The bully and the cheat
One stands up for righteousness
And won’t accept defeat

Don’t question his resistance
Or the loyalty of his friends
There is strength in numbers
There’ll be justice in the end

History keeps showing us
Reflections of these faces
Nothing ever seems to change
Just the names and places

Far away there are two men
Who represent us all
Everyday’s a battle
The evil one will fall

By Alicia Woodward §

“Behavior is the mirror in which everyone shows their image.”
~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Read Alicia’s previous poems for Ukraine:
“With the Strength of Snowdrops” https://thesimpleswan.wordpress.com/2022/03/02
“War Can Turn to Peace” https://thesimpleswan.wordpress.com/2022/03/09
“Innocence” https://thesimpleswan.wordpress.com/2022/03/16
“An Elegant Response to War” https://thesimpleswan.wordpress.com/2022/03/23
“The Sky” https://thesimpleswan.wordpress.com/2022/03/30
“Mourning Dove” https://thesimpleswan.wordpress.com/2022/04/06

Poetry for Ukraine ~ “The Sky”

“The Sky”

The sky belongs to the hazy moon and to the glowing sun
It wasn’t made for fighter jets, bursting bombs, or guns

That sacred space is for the birds to glide on wings and soar
It’s unnatural to be the scene of destruction, hate, or war

The place where God put rainbows, stars, and butterflies
Does not belong to greedy men and self-important lies

A peaceful sphere for passing clouds and for the gentle wind
Is best reserved for reverie and flying kites with friends

The wild blue yonder holds for us a promise up above
It’s good for prayers and wishes and hopeful thoughts of love

The heavens have watched over us since the dawn of time
When we are at our very worst and moments when we shine

The sky belongs to angels and people who can fly
For those set free from earthly woes and gravity defy §

-Alicia Woodward

Note regarding this poem’s allusion to “people who can fly” ~
The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales is the title of a book written by Virginia Hamilton in 1985. It is a collection of 24 folktales including one called The People Could Fly. In this tale, slaves sing ancient African words and magically fly away to freedom. I’d like to believe people bound by chains of oppression, illness, addiction, disease, or poverty can defy all odds and break free. Maybe strength comes in knowing these are only earthly chains and will not last forever.

“I thank you God for this amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes.”
~ e. e. cummings

Poetry for Ukraine ~ “Innocence”

“Innocence”

the pale blue backpack
with a Disney princess
is far too heavy

to carry a stuffed yellow bunny
a fistful of pebbles from the yard
and a child’s dreams

it’s an adventure
mommy says
just a game

thank you for the cookies
and scratchy blanket
let’s go home now

to my pink bedroom
with butterflies
and daddy

is tomorrow a school day
why are you crying
who’s feeding the cat §

– Alicia Woodward

Read Alicia’s previous poems for Ukraine:
“With the Strength of Snowdrops” https://thesimpleswan.wordpress.com/2022/03/02
“War Turns to Peace” https://thesimpleswan.wordpress.com/2022/03/09

“In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.” – Anne Frank

Poetry for Ukraine ~ “War Can Turn to Peace”

“War Can Turn to Peace”

War
Ugly, Inhumane
Hating, Destroying, Dying
Explosions, Fear…Silence, Hope
Loving, Creating, Living
Beautiful, Compassionate
Peace

-Alicia Woodward

Like most Americans, I’m frightened and saddened by the inhumanity of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. In my effort to find something positive I can do to to help, I’m writing poetry in support of the brave people of Ukraine which I will share on Wednesdays in my Just Between Friends post.

The form of poetry I’ve written this week is called a diamanté. It’s made up of just 16 words in seven unrhymed lines which form a diamond shape. Diamanté is the Italian word for diamond. The first and last lines are nouns, usually of opposite meaning. The rest of the lines are made up of nouns and adjectives related to the beginning and ending words. (I chose to divide my poem with ellipses.)

This relatively new form of poetry was created in 1969 by American poet Iris McClellan Tiedt. Studying and writing this simple form of poetry was always a favorite of my middle school literature students.

Writing poetry is, if nothing else, an elegant way to process and express our feelings. It won’t end a war, but it might offer a little comfort. If you’d like to try your hand at a diamanté poem, here’s the format:

Noun
Adjective, Adjective (related to first word)
Verb, Verb, Verb (related to first word)
Noun, Noun (related to first word)… Noun, Noun (related to last word)
Verb, Verb, Verb (related to last word)
Adjective, Adjective (related to last word)
Noun

Please read my previous poem for Ukraine ~ The Strength of Snowdrops at https://thesimpleswan.wordpress.com/2022/03/02

“No one in the world will forgive you (Vladimir Putin) for killing peaceful Ukrainian people.”
~Volodymyr Zelenskyy

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