World Poetry Day 2025

Today is World Poetry Day, and the theme for this year is “Poetry as a bridge for peace and inclusion”.

I think this is a wonderful theme and something that is so needed in the world right now. Everywhere you look, everything you read, all you hear around you, is hate hate hate; anger, anger, anger; threats, threats, threats.

How can we fight this seemingly all consuming, chest thumping, baboonic ,so called shows of strenght by crazy, power hungry predators? Can we even do anything about it?

I believe we can. Through out history, we have seen the power of the pen over the sword. We as poets need to arm ourselves and prepare for battle; fight with all we’ve got, our greatest arsenal: WORDS!

Writing and specially poetry has a way of appealing to people’s gentler emotions, to the humane side of them, getting them to look at possibilities of a better life. Poetry gives hope as it arouses the passion to fight against injustice. It can reach the masses, it doesn’t exclude anyone and that it it’s greatest strenght; this inclusivity of poetry.

So let’s pick up our pens and fight the good fight. Let’s bring back peace, hope and love. Let’s not sit mute and helpless, we have the POWER! The power of words!

On one side we have war weapons 

That hurt and kill and maim.

We wring our hands in despair 

Of finding peace again.

There is however a powerful tool

That heals what war has slain.

When Poets take up their pens 

And write for truth again.

The pen is mightier than the sword

It reaches far and wide

It touches hearts, it touches minds

It awakens that courage inside.

Poems speak of love

Of peace and healing

They reach out to all

The truth revealing.

A poem speaks for those who can’t

Whose voices have been silenced

A poem stands up for what is right

Gentle words instead of violence.

Every one is included

In a poets realm 

There is only a “We”

Not an “us” versus “them”

So let’s take up our pens

Sharpen our wits and words

Let’s fight the good fight 

Let love be restored.

I had written a blog post about peace and a mother’s fears somewhere in 2016 and it still holds true. As they say Peace is a woman and so is poetry, I think! Read about the post here