HERE: Poems for the Planet

About the Book

"This book, HERE: Poems for the Planet, contains many beautiful, generous poems and ideas for action. It is my heartfelt hope that they will inspire readers who ask themselves, 'But what can I do?' to see that there is a way forwardlearning to share the earth and its resources, while taking care of it together." His Holiness The Dalai Lama"By so exquisitely and compassionately illuminating our planetary predicament, these spirited poems of diverse perspectives inspire us to step forward in hope." BooklistHERE: Poems for the Planet is a lovesong to a planet in crisis. Summoning a chorus of over 125 diverse poetic voices, this anthology approaches the impending environmental crisis with a sense of urgency and hopefulness. Now more than ever is the time for this book as it seeks to galvanize readers, students, teachers, philanthropists and everyday people to address the realities of climate change head on and become individual catalysts for change. Here looks at the world with a renewed sense of courage, fighting fear that so often leads to indifference and cynicism. The anthology also includes an activist guide, created in tandem with the Union of Concerned Scientists, and an introduction by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. With these poems, we hope you will see with new eyes what the astronauts saw the first time they peered down from space at our tiny world."Here: Poems for the Planet is so much more than a poetry collection [it is] dedicated to all we stand to lose as the Earth heats up." Tricycle Magazine"In these pages scientists write to poetsand to all of us who love poems. We are sharing common language, looking at the same marvelous, embattled world together and wanting it to stay." Poetry Northwest

Table of Contents:
I. WHERE YOU’D WANT TO COME FROM: POEMS FOR OUR PLANET Nezhukumatathil, Aimee: Invitation Dawes, Kwame: Shook Foil Abani, Chris: Descent 2 Kho’I, Esma’il: Image of Kindness May, Jamaal: There Are Birds Here Arthur, James: Wind Uribe, Kirmen: Don’t Make It a Choice Logmansbo, Valdemar A.: Spring Song d’Aquino, Alfonso: Black Bee Corpi, Lucha: Letter to Arturo Grotz, Jennifer: Poppies Geldman, Mordechai: Almost Flowers Valentine, Jean: The Valley Calderazzo, John: Douglas Fir Falling Berry, Wendell: The Peace of Wild Things II. THE GENTLE LIGHT THAT VANISHES: OUR ENDANGERED WORLD Seibles, Tim: First Verse McCallum, Shara: Why Madwoman Shouldn’t Read the News Brathwaite, Kamau: Colombe Diaz, Natalie: How the Milky Way Was Made Mead, Jane: Money Olds, Sharon: Ode to the Last Thirty-Eight Trees in New York City Visible From This Window Hicok, Bob: Hold your breath: a song of climate change Kane, Joan Naviyuk: The Straits Pusteria, Fabio: Star, Meteor, Some Shooting Thing Medina, Pablo: The Floating Island Trethaway, Natasha: Theories of Time and Space Doshi, Tishani: Lament II Naficy, Majid: To a Snail Hahn, Kimiko: The Fever Dooley, Maura: Still Life with Sea Pinks and High Tide Merwin, W.S.: Thanks Young Patricia: Ruin and Beauty Waldman, Ann: Anthropocene Blues III. AS IF THEY’D NEVER BEEN: POEMS FOR THE ANIMALS Sholl, Betsy: To a Bat Fallen in the Street Atwood, Margaret: Elegy for the Giant Tortoises Brown, Nickole: A Prayer to Talk to Animals Macari, Anne Marie: Migration South Gonzales, Rigoberto: The Slaughterhouse Kasichke, Laura: Pregnant at the All-Night Supermarket Saje, Natasha: We Saw No Caribou Smith, Tracy K.: A Hunger So Honed Griffiths, Rachel Eliza: The Human Zoo Livingston, Chip: Punta del Este Pantoum Qin, Shang: Rooster Alexei, Sherman: Small Ceremonies IV. THE OCEAN WITHIN THEM: VOICES OF YOUNG PEOPLE Bannon, Griffin: How to Be a Hawk Arrastia-Nowak, Betye: I Am Like a Caterpillar Roe, Maia: Midmorning, Summer Rain Tahajian, Talin: Variations on a Mountain Skink Beckwith, Julia: every sunrise is a sunset, somewhere Keener, Olivia: The Peaceful Lake Adler-Bermudez, Ekiway: Quetzalcoatl Brown, Lauryn: Voice Friedman, Katie: Haiku V. LIKE YOU ARE NEW TO THE WORLD: FROM INSPIRATION TO ACTION Bringhurst, Robert: The Occupation Hass, Robert: Meditation at Lagunitas Francis, Vivee: A Small Poem Alvarez, Julia: Bilingual Sestina McLarney, Rosa: After the Removal of Thirty Types… Kaplinski, Jaan: From childhood on Hillman, Brenda: The Seeds Talk Back to Monsanto Huerta, David: Before the Protest in the Street is Dispersed Chincangana, Fredy: Handful of Earth Georges, Danielle Legros: Intersection Rajendra, Cecil: My Message Barquet, Jesus J.: Robinson Danladi, Chekwube O.: My Mother’s Sister Schools Me On Her Garden Brimhall, Traci: Fledgling Snyder, Gary: For the Children Baberoon, Gabeba: My Tongue Softens on the Other Name Gay, Ross: Poem for My Child if Ever You Shall Be Roberson, Ed: be careful Page, P.K.: Planet Earth

About the Author :

An anthology of contemporary poets writing for a planet in crisis, speaking in diverse voices from praise to witness to grief-and into action.

Review :
"This book, HERE: Poems for the Planet, contains many beautiful, generous poems and ideas for action. It is my heartfelt hope that they will inspire readers who ask themselves, 'But what can I do?' to see that there is a way forward – learning to share the earth and its resources, while taking care of it together." –The Dalai Lama