Poem from the Summat 2011
by Michelle Scally-Clarke
(Michelle was our poet in residence at the Summat, wandering around the event, gleaning ideas/phrases/moments -and creating this encapsulation of the day…)
I’M USING OUR WORDS TO DEFINE TODAY,
FOR TODAY
FLOWS INTO TOMORROW
FLOWS FROM YESTERDAY TO NOW
FLOWS FROM JOY TO SORROW;
FOR THE WHEELS OF TIME DON’T STOP.
FEAR TELLS US
THE WORLD HAS GONE TO POT;
NO IT’S NOT.
THE POWER OF THE INTERNET
CANNOT BE CONTROLLED BY GOVERNMENT…
BUT WHAT’S THE COST?
WHAT’S THE LOSS?
RAGE AND RIOT, INNER CITIES EXTREME
FORGET TO DREAM.
EMOTIONS ARE THE DNA
THAT MAKES US ONE:
ONE LOVE, ONLY LOVE.
WHEN ONE CRIES,
ONE TRIES TO HIDE;
WHEN ONE SMILES,
ONE TRIES TO FLY;
WHEN ONE HATES,
ONE SUFFOCATES;
WHEN ONE GIVES,
WE START TO LIVE;
WHEN ONE WALKS IN PEACE,
OTHERS BREATHE.
THERE IS UNITY, SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO LOOK
OUTSIDE OURSELVES
TO FIND IT.
FROM AN ACORN, THIS TREE HAS BEEN BORN,
FLOWING IN SYNERGY,
LAYING ROOTS, AND FUTURE TRACKS
TO CLIMB THE SUMMIT…
BRING OTHERS BACK,
FOR WHAT HAS BEEN HURT
MUST BE TENDED.
THE TASK IS GREAT BUT IT’S NOT TOO LATE,
FOR LIFE IS NOT YET ENDED:
PEACE IS A PROCESS,
PEACE IS A FREEDOM,
PEACE IS A LIFESTYLE,
PEACE IS MUSIC,
PEACE IS ART,
PEACE IS A MOVEMENT,
PEACE IS IN HEART, PROVIDES THE BLOOD
AND THE COURAGE.
WE HAVE TO WORK AT IT,
FOR THE WHEELS OF TIME DON’T STOP.
WE CAN HAVE OUR VOICE
AND OWN IT.
WE SHALL OVERCOME:
THERE ARE 7 BILLION REASONS
IN THE WORLD
TO PUT THE WORLD TOGETHER AGAIN,
TO OPPOSE FEAR AND ITS MENTAL SLAVERY,
TO FIGHT WITHOUT ARMS
FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE,
TO SING WITH HARMONY.
FOR SOME HERE COME FROM LANDS
WITH NO PEACE,
AND SAY THEY
WOULDN’T KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN IT -
BUT WHEN THERE’S LIGHT IN THE SOUL,
EVERYWHERE’S HOME,
IT’S A MOVEMENT, A CALLING, A JOURNEY.
THE BEST THINGS IN THE WORLD CANNOT BE SEEN
NOR TOUCHED,
BUT ARE FELT IN THE HEART
(HELEN KELLER).
A POSITIVE MEMORY HOLDS THE HAND
FOR TODAY UNTIL TOMORROW;
IT STARTS FROM TRUST, CONNECTION AND SENSITIVITY;
IT STARTS FROM HOPE; IT STARTS WITH FAITH;
IT STARTS WITH US TODAY;
FOR TODAY FLOWS
INTO THE ACHIEVABLE, THE POSSIBLE, THE BUZZ AND THE FUN,
TO TOGETHERNESS, GLOBAL COMMUNITY, SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS.
WE HAVE WON.
WE CAN DISTILL THE MYTHS AND TRUTHS,
CHALLENGING OUR OWN THINKING -
A COLLECTIVE SPACE TO IMAGINE;
BE THE SOLUTION NOT THE PROBLEM;
THIS BRIDGE IS BUILDING
IN THE HEART OF MAN, WOMAN AND CHILDREN.
WE ARE THE ACTIVISTS,
CAN BE THE UNITY,
THE MEMORY,
TO PROVIDE STRENGTH FOR TOMORROW.
THIS IS OUR PEACE TRAIN
THROUGH THE COLD AND THE RAIN,
FOR WHEN THE DAMN IS UNBLOCKED
THEN NOTHING IS QUITE LOST.
DIFFERENT BACKGROUND,
DIFFERENT WAYS,
IN ONE TRUTH,
CAN WE SING TODAY:
WE SHALL OVERCOME,
WE SHALL OVERCOME?
FOR DEEP IN OUR HEARTS,
WE CAN ACHIEVE,
WE CAN LIVE IN PEACE,
WE ARE FREE.
IF THIS FEW IS MANY,
HOW MANY ARE WE FEW?
OPEN UR HEARTS
IN THE CELEBRATION OF U.