Be a part of peace; take a stand; demonstrate peace in all your interactions.
By Keri Bowers
On December 10, 1964, Martin Luther King Jr. accepted The Nobel Peace Prize. In his acceptance speech in part he said:
Sooner or later all the people of the world will have to discover a way to live together in peace, and thereby transform this pending cosmic elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. If this is to be achieved, man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.
Is it really possible for all the people in the world to discover a way to live together in peace? Throughout wo/man’s history, unspeakable acts of hatred, terror, violence and discrimination have marked the legacy of mankind. Are things really worse in today’s world than they have been throughout history? Or do we simply bear witness to the atrocities of a modern era with second-by-second access via news outlets, television and social media?
If #indeed the foundation of peace is love, then it can be reasoned that it must begin in the hearts and minds of men and women.
INNER PEACE
Inner peace – or peace of mind – is the state of being mentally and spiritually at peace within ourselves. We must cultivate the knowledge, understanding and practice of seeking peace in every breath we take, and in our everyday actions and interactions.
In autism and related mental health/wellness challenges, this can be particularly challenging. Getting “stuck” in our minds often creates a barrier to the awareness and practice of inner peace.
Peace of mind, serenity, and calmness are descriptions of a disposition free from the effects of stress, yet often neurology, “wiring” and past experiences bar the experience and expression of joy and peace. See my upcoming follow-up blog on “The Practice and Steps to Peace”.
WORLD PEACE
“My candle burns more brightly because it stands next to yours”
One person, one step, an act of kindness, a community – and a poem lights the way for us to discover peace and to share it with others.
The Art of Autism put out a call for autistic artists and poets to share their poems with us. Throughout September – including September 21st which is World – or International Peace Day, we will share the poems and art graciously sent to us for reprint. We are thrilled to highlight the beauty and inspirational words of some wonderful people who cared enough to share original poems and art with you here.
Peaceful Art of Living
By Sukarma Rani Thareja
Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, CSJM Kanpur University, India
In opposing circumstances,
In hard core difficulties,
By fighting with odds,
Reconstructing one self,
From scratch in broken life,
Is peaceful art of living.
By not getting,
Discouraged from sufferings,
By taking strength from pains,
By taking inspiration,
From sorrows and pains,
By converting pains,
To energy positive.
Is peaceful art of living.
Riding on happily,
Ladders of sorrows,
Presenting constructively,
Unpleasant happenings,
And suppressed feelings,
From I to we – confidently,
For ideal best life; quietly,
Is peaceful art of living.
***
The Gem in Your Day
By Colin Cohen, ramblings of a creative soul – www.fishandcherries.com
The gem in your day
Let it not slip away
For glittering goodness is rare
The gleam in your eye
Let it not pass you by
Lest you forget it was even there
Murk can fill the world
‘Tis depression unfurled
Cynicism and grief follow close
So when you see a light
Make your day oh so bright
Hold on, lest you feel remorse
Happiness is not
A mere childish thought
It has long been eluding our grasp
Do not let your life
Be subject to strife
And terror, the media’s asp
***
Choose Life
By Naomi Galley AKA Noushka
As you fall into despair please don’t forget your soul
Is saved and repaired, don’t give in and become so cold
I am the Truth, the life come to set you free
Don’t dare fade away, lest you disbelieve me
As intake goes down so does your mood
Innards tightening and griping for food
Scraping the surface of greedy passions
The purging cycle a vortex in fashion
Striving for life and joy in perfection
The mirrors refuse to shed light on reflections
Ugly, solid, painful reminders
Of what can result from habitual liars
Keeping on course to an empty goal
Who else can help with your now hollowed soul
Your heart is in pain and limbs feel like lead
Now is the countdown until you drop dead
Come back to me now before it’s complete
At the right hand theres space, I’ve got you a seat
So rejoice and return- many pray on
The Father is waiting, here with His Son.
***
Labels
By Maranda Russell – Artist, Author & Vlogger
The labels we give ourselves –
Democrat, Republican,
conservative, liberal –
why do we let these
names
fool us
into believing
that’s all we are?
The truth is
we need each other
like it
or not.
Left to ourselves
and those of our kind,
we lose balance
and perspective.
We forget
that there’s a whole world
outside
of our own narrow view.
A world of trouble,
a world of tragedy.
A world that
desperately
needs our help.
A world
that doesn’t benefit at all
from another pointless debate.
***
Thank you all poets and artists! Look for our upcoming Poems for Peace Blogs. There is still limited time to submit your poem and/or art for peace to keri@normalfilms.com
We thank our inspirational collaborators in our stand for peace.
Cover Art by Gerhard Beck
