Poets of Peace and Harmony

On October 20th, 2023, ILA Magazine offered a visual prompt challenge, a dove of peace with children standing in various lines holding flags of the world. We asked poets to observe the image closely and write their own perceptions and indeed they did, becoming the peace doves by penning beautifully depicted poems. ILA chose 5 poets out of 16.

PEACE Pray for peace

Pray for innocent children Caught in the wars

Pray for peace

Pray for our brothers and sisters

Tortured

Hungry

Homeless

Shot

Caught in the wars

Pray for peace

So humans can live

In beauty and love

Pray for peace

A chain of prayer to shield

Those in danger

Pray for peace.

© Bernadette O'Reilly

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SAVING GRACE

Amidst the desolation, a dove flew out from the Ark

And swooped over the wild and raging floods

Soon after, it was seen fluttering calmly overhead

With a green and fresh olive leaf drooping from its beak.

A symbol that Nature's wrath has subsided

New hope, signs of sprouting lives brightly emerged

Another lease on human existence, the Almighty has granted

Repentance, faith and devotion from all of us are expected

But why haven't we learned from the blunders of the past?

The omens keep raging but met them with a remorseless heart

The right time has come, let us all heed the call

Life is precious, let's make amends and save our souls

Heal the world in deep turmoil, we, Nations of the world

Wages of sin, ravages of war, all will be destroyed

Let the dove of love and peace spread its saving grace

And turn our world into a Shangri-la, an idyllic place and hideaway

© Gus Perez Amio

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BLIND

I see no color

We bleed the same blood

I see no religion

The same universal God

I see no hate

It's the same human fate

I see no division

Only love and compassion

I see no misery

The same anger doesn't pay

I see no evil

When Love shall always prevail

I see no suffering

Humanity restored we bring

But I saw red stains

In the snow, in vast desert plains.

© Floyd Gale Cabus

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WORLD OF COLORS

We are a world made up of colors

Different hues

Different interpretations

But unified in one monochrome.

We are a world with different thoughts

Different languages

Different words

But we are unified in one picture.

We are a world of colors

Cultures, races and even words.

But those differences don't matter.

We shared the same sun, moon, stars and heaven

altogether.

We are the colors of the world

That painted smiles and happiness on every road

That sow the seeds of peace in every land

That bears hope and love in everyone's heart and mind.

But no matter what differences we have

Colors unified us to live as one

To make our world a better place

To make the world a place we call "Home."

© Janet Rose Licudo

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BRINGER OF PEACE

We summon you to inspire us

To light the lamp from within

So that we may guide lost souls

Outside the dark realm of despair.

Disperse the fog of hate from our mind,

So that we may think clearly

And thus become wise mentors

To help others make right decisions

Together we will live in harmony

To make life's song a symphony

Heaven, nature, humanity unite

To stand up to the forces of evil!

© Gheorghe Laura