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Fighting for Peace
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A new English translation of the poetry of Daisaku Ikeda,
Fighting for Peace, has been issued by Dunhill Publishing in San Francisco, California. The five narrative poems on the theme of peace were written over a two-year period spanning September 11, 2001. The first, from which the book’s title is taken, was written in June 2001. The second is an autobiographical reflection on August 15, 1945, the day of Japan’s surrender in World War II, and closes with an appeal to make this “a day to be eternally commemorated / as a day of peace / as the start of a new era of life.” The poems “In Joyous Tumult: Unfurling the Banner of Humanism” and “The Path of Human Revolution” were written in October 2001, in the wake of the terror attacks in the United States. The latter commemorates October 24, United Nations Day, and expresses the author’s hopes for the world body’s contributions to peace. The final poem of the collection, “The Promise of a Majestic Peace” was written on the eve of the invasion of Iraq.
The poems all explore the human dimension of war. They include stark portrayals of the suffering, bereavement and grief that are part of every war. They also seek to expose the inner workings of those whose decisions lead to war. “In the contemptuous glare / that does not recognize / people as people / the human heart is absent . . .”
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Ishmael Reed
reading a poem [Kiyotaka Shishido] |
In his foreword, poet Ishmael Reed comments, “One doesn’t have to be a follower of the Buddhist religion to appreciate the universal appeal. . . . [Ikeda] speaks for the millions of people who have become frustrated with the lethal shenanigans of the world’s politicians. . . . Though troubling, these poems are ultimately hopeful.” On April 17, at the Knitting Factory in New York City, Mr. Reed read selections from
Fighting for Peace along with his own works to music by jazz maestro Patience Higgins and his quartet. For further information see
www.poetry4peace.org.
Fighting for Peace can be purchased through amazon.com.
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