“What you focus on grows, what you think about expands, and what you dwell upon determines your destiny.” — Robin S. Sharma
Compiled by Linish Balan, Keri Bowers and Debra Muzikar
This is the first of many peace-themed blog posts for the month of September. Click on Peace Project 2022 to see all blogs as we post them.
Header Image: Trevor Aycox “Pyramid and Mars” Spray Paint
For the 7th year, The Art of Autism has curated peace-themed art, poetry, and prose which we will share in September. The United Nations theme for the International Day of Peace (September 21) in 2022 is End Racism. Build Peace. #peaceday
This year we are dedicating our project to Trevor Aycox (1995-2022). Trevor was a spray paint artist and an incredible human being. He resided in Oklahoma and came out to California (and even Massachusetts) to share his talents at Art of Autism events. We were deeply saddened to hear of his passing especially at such a young age. Please join us in thoughts of peace for Trevor and his family.
We are excited for the huge response The Art of Autism has had for this project from our readers. With the War in the Ukraine, peace is more important than ever. We will share over the next few weeks in the form of blog posts our reader’s contributions to this year’s project.
We love when groups of people come together to create a peace-themed project. In response to the call for art and poetry, the students at Hidden Wings in Santa Ynez, California created this collage.
In keeping with the United Nations 2022 theme of End Racism, Build Peace, Michael Worthington shares two of his Lucky Penny creations.
See more Michael Worthington Lucky Penny creations here.
What really matters..
By Sherin Mary Zacharia
True writers and artists
Are they who always knew
What man needs to ask each other.
Man needs to query,
Change many things
In the lives
In and around him.
Man should know the answers
To these questions alone
The rest doesn’t matter really.
Many bear worries in their hearts
About the day’s meal
Why bother about his skin colour?
Get him a sandwich
Distressed is the man
Who lives near the sea shore
Climate change has made the day’s catch smaller
Why bother about his religion?
Buy him a coffee.
Tired is the old woman
Selling snacks by the wayside.
She cares her retarded girl
Why bother about her caste?
Buy some samosas* from her.
A woman who cries everyday
Behind her dupatta*
Her son was in the school
That had blown up.
Why bother about her mother tongue?
Tears have no language
Hug her once; be kind.
May be the world is too large
May be the people are all different
Why bother?
Nothing matters more
Than love and hope
World needs these
To be peaceful
Now and forever.
We’ve had over 30 artists and poets submit to our project so stay tuned throughout the month of September.
Love and hope do matter.
So do activism and blues music and lucky pennies.
All these make for peace in our world and peace in ourselves.