David Wagoner (1926–2021)

The yearning for world peace might be a craving as utopic as it is naïve, yet it remains stubbornly ingrained within us all. After all, who doesn't dream of a better world? What makes this anthology interesting is that the authors gathered here, because they are coming from different countries scattered all across the globe, all have their own preoccupation when it comes to peace; and it transpires in their texts.

There's 'Adam and Eve', hinting at the plea of refugees in foreign lands by show more Nasrin Parvaz (herself an asylum seeker from Iran). There's 'Panacea For Injured Civilization'; the bitter musing of a dying general (and in my opinion a real poetic masterpiece) by Jinque Romanban-Dolojan, poetess from the Philippines. There's 'Strange and Mysterious Ways', a nice and original prose by the American Doug Donnan. Breathing out through it all there's, above all, hope:

'I see hope in the marrow
For how we finish
Will be remembered longer
Than how we started'
-'In The Village', by Kiyomi Kiyomi (Nigeria)

'A Promise of Doves' is way too short for sure, but its core message is very much needed. Again: who doesn't dream of a better world?

'Our children deserve more than just
A promise of doves'
-'A Promise of Doves', David Wagoner (USA) show less

At first I wasn't too pleased, but once I got further into the book the poems were written in a fovrable style. The editor groups poems of particular styles together, and they seemed to progress from more traditional to those that have a more modern flavor.

A splendid collection of short poems. Highly personal (but universally true!).

Poems explore a variety of themes including love, nature, war, and family and depict the author's experiences Source: GoodReads