by 
we, the nobodies, the little people
whipped by the whims of the power mongers,
nailing us to a cross of narcissism and greed,
tossing us on the trash heap of history
we, the wounded and noble nameless,
with all our bone, blood, heart and soul
do declare unequivocally—
we find no redemption in chaos,
no joy in parting seas of blood,
no grace in killing one another
we now turn, not our cheeks, but our backs,
leaving the bullies to their naked delusion,
their rudimentary souls; relinquishing
the swords they hand us, we put our muscle
to the plow and reclaim our birthright
to all that is sane and good
Poetry is as necessary to life as water. With it we take our stand, raise the collective conscience, show a proper respect for intuition and instinct. Poetry uncobbles our hopes and dreams and anchors our power.
– Jamie Dedes
Originally published in The Woven Tale Press, April 25, 2016;© 2016, poem and photograph, Jamie Dedes, All rights reserved
THE WOVEN TALE PRESS
In the April issue of The Woven Tale Press Associate Editor and Poet Michael Dickel• offers some background on 100,000 Poets for Change (100TPC) and activist poets and poetry. I have the honor to be among several of those poets featured including: 100TPC co-founder, Michael Rothenberg and St. Louis, Missouri Poet Laureate, Michael Castro. The edition includes not only outstanding poets and writers but some truly stellar artists. The Woven Tale Press is “the eclectic culling of the creative web.” View HERE
©2016, magazine cover art, The Woven Tale Press
- Michael is also contributing editor to The BeZine where he did a fabulous job pulling together the April poetry issue. He is the author of two collections of poetry, including my all-time favorite chapbook, War Surrounds Us (Is a Rose Press, 2015). Learn more about him, his activism and his work: The Poet as Witness: War Surrounds Us, An Interview with American-Israeli Poet, Michael Dickel.
Jamie Dedes' THE POET BY DAY Webzine 