Poetry sustains activism through art

By Lilly Kujawski
Editor

“We were the promise and the threat, but we may not be the aftermath,” read a line from an original poem by English instructor Maryam Barrie, which she performed at sustainability-themed poetry event held at the Bailey Library.

The event, hosted on April 18 by the WCC Sustainability Literacy Task Force, was entitled “Poetry Sustains” and featured performances of original work from various campus community members, as well a selection of poems from well-known writers passed around the audience in a basket.

Poems ranged from optimistic and inspirational, to dreary to humorous, and many discussed climate change concerns. Many were politically charged and urged action from citizens. Some of the pieces served more as an ode to nature and the environment. A poem by Wanda Kay Sanders, a WCC Poetry Club member, titled “Free” had themes of hope and reclamation.

“My thoughts have taken flight, high in the sky,” Sanders read. “I am an eagle above the storms of a tarnished life.”

Many of the performers also had their poems included in a chapbook, which holds the same title as the event. Tom Zimmerman, Poetry Club advisor and English instructor, said he hopes that the event can become an annual occurrence.

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