Puzzle Peace

For the entire month of February, The World Peace Poets has put out a call for peace poems to be sent out one a day on postcards.  Each contributor sent a poem a day out to others on their list.  I couldn't help but adapt it a bit for my own ease of use/scheduling.  I'm kind of a radical conservative, so I can't help but put my own spin on things, but always within the guidelines.  So...

I began a poem on February 1st and finished it on February 8th.  It ended up with 20 stanzas, and I had 20 people on my list...so it made sense, especially given this particular poem, that I would send a piece of the poem - one stanza - to each person.  Each postcard had one stanza of the poem with its number on it.  On the front, each postcard has ALL the key words from the entire poem inside the Tagxedo I created (below).

Because I could, and like I said, I'm a radical conservative, and we'd just been sending postcards anyway...
I decided to print off an extra set of postcards and send them randomly to any blogger for whom I had an address...plus a few friends who don't have blogs, but do have addresses!

the third piece of the puzzle

Today I had promised that I would put all the stanzas together into its one poem, all the pieces fitting together at last. So here it is in its entirety, as promised - first as a puzzle that you can assemble (which isn't as easily read as I'd like), and below the puzzle the poem written as text: (if you don't see more after this puzzle, give it a few seconds to appear!)

Puzzle Peace

Peace is in pieces,

Examine each one;

There’s a piece with a peace,

It’s own island of sun.

Peace in the pieces,

Gather them round;

The piece with the Peace is

Neither shackled nor bound;

You’ve been given a puzzle,

As patchworker’s quilt;

But no needle or thread

Is used when it’s built.

The grandest of puzzles,

Our tensions increasing,

Is placed out for hands

To work out the piecing.

Meanwhile the sun

Shines down on each piece

Refracting the beams

For rainbow’s release.

When clouds recover,

Rain again reigning,

Each fractured peace with

Occlusions and staining -

Shows what they’re made of:

A crystal of rough,

A piece of a stone

To withstand the tough.

I’m glad for the ripples
Of peace in all strife;

Thankful for my peace
Of mind in this life.

That’s how it’s been:

We’re broken, we’re healed,

As we move to the moment

True Peace is revealed.

As we crumble to pieces

The Peace of this world

Lifts us above

In hands we are curled

Each member remembers

Their part that was played

In loving, in giving,

Or moments they strayed.

And the Peace that endures

To the end of our time

Knows of the hurt and

The mountains each climbed;

Looks at the minutes,

The tick of each heart,

And knows if the Peace

Is returned to its start.

If there is joy,

Peace parts the ways;

If there is Peace,

Joy runs through our days.

Oh, joyful the days when

Peace is the song;

For where Peace is sung,

The heart is not wrong.

This Joyous Peace

Inside ever near us,

Even with small voice,

Is able to hear us.

When peace is in pieces

And threatens to crumble,

Remember your Peace will

Withstand the tumble.

Raise that Peace high

So precisely curved;

The last piece of puzzle,

Once missing, reserved.

Filling such void

With Peace where it aught,

Bringing completion

To the centermost spot.

You cannot keep Peace

Nor be a part of it

If you do not know

The greatest start of it.

by Donna JT Smith, 2/2017

Peace Puzzle Pieces on Postcards - that's a mouthful!

 Enjoy the Peace today!  Go read some more poems by heading over to Heidi's place, My Juicy Little Universe, where she is hosting this week's Poetry Friday in celebration of all things poetry!

And don't forget -This Sunday night, the Madness! Poetry tournament begins, at least for the 64 authletes; words are issued and the challenge of writing a poem using the selected word begins! 36 hours later the poems will be submitted and the first rounds of voting opens up two poems at a time beginning late Tuesday and running through early Thursday...Check it out at Ed DeCaria's website: Madness! Poetry, register for classroom voting, vote for yourself, encourage friends to read poetry and vote!  It's a month long competition with lots of poetry for kids!

Slice of Life:
Yesterday I went into 4 classrooms and read - a celebration of Dr. Seuss' birthday.  As a retired teacher, I don't get into the classrooms as much as I used to (duh).  But I set aside this day to make sure I get there.  Due to new directors and snowstorms, the process was a little delayed and I didn't get to find out my assignment until about 36 hours before the readings - a 4th grade.  And then, as readers must have dropped out, I was asked if I could do three more - a first grade, a 3 year old group, and a 4 year old group.  Being retired and having set this day aside as special, I of course said yes!
I had SOOO much fun!  I read books I'd picked out at the public library, and books I had left over from teaching, AND a couple of my own poems.  I got hugs.  I got smiles.  I got comments.
I got compliments:
"I like that necklace."
"Your hair is pretty."
I got questions:
"Why don't you have a hair clip in, like me?" (3 and 4 year old groups)
"That poem is sad." 4th grader.
"Hey, you remembered my name!" 1st grader.
And they all liked books.
I must do this again.  If you haven't tried this, even as a teacher with a classroom now, you NEED to do this!  Switch classrooms with someone for an hour - a different level - you won't be sorry.  It is an amazing experience from planning to waving good-bye from the door!  And especially amazing when you get those preschooler hugs!