Striving for Peace: Roots of Change, Roots and Wings
Sculpture and poetry for the NPPF, by mac gimse February 20-21, 2004
Presented to Jimmy Carter, Norwegian Nobel Peace Laureate, 2002
Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway
and Director-General of the World Health Organization
Egoo Patel, Interfaith Youth Core; and FINCA
Three sections have a total of six sides:
1. The first WING has fetal forms following an umbilical cord (umbilicus mundi ) into birth. On the opposite side children climb a rope (axis mundi) upward into community.
2. The second WING is for interdependence of family. On one side a woman holds a child and from the other a male figure reaches around to the woman and child. Clinging to his leg is a love-inspiring child (Putto).
3. The third WING has a young couple flying into partnership in the center. On the other side a figure stands on a shelter and roots grow up around him, a reference to ahimsa (non-violence) espoused by Bahubali in Jain culture. The female figure on his shoulders sprouts Pegasus-like wings, and with crescent hooves, taps a spring to water fragrant plants that deprive snakes of their venom.
WHOEVER WAKES UP TO A NEW CREATION SEARCHES FOR ITS ROOTS
Mothers cradle child on child,
and fathers search the fresh of earth,
to pass their hands of nurturing
through the springtime of our birth.
The harmony of humans is heard
as discord against the sound of kisses
boldly on our cheek from newborn fugitives
waking with their loud(ly) cries for freedom.
The place for throwing sower’s seeds
is fenced on soils to stand
where toils of feet are planted
bending life to living land.
In childhood our deepest need is kinship,
however dear or distant, to fine-tune covenants
of decency that shape and savor
the fruits of all our labor.
We are here to sow the tilling seed,
stab fields through summer fires;
feel roots deep digging downward,
watching shoots loft into spires.
Rubbing is the true feel of poverty,
bruising into community refugees
without shelter whose die-threads weave
our gift of life into their plea for solidarity.
Throwers of the sowing seed
stride wing to wing in creation’s dance
to harvest all that nature knows
is given by God’s own chance.
So stand, flesh-on-bones,
wake now you and all humanity,
to speak our single-throated story
that beyond the stones which hold our walls,
we are cradled, all and only,
by the sea.
Stanza by stanza:
1. Our nation of immigrants began close to the soil (SEARCH THE FRESH OF EARTH), raising children (CRADLE CHILD ON CHILD and HANDS OF NURTURING) in this young nation (THE SPRINGTIME OF OUR BIRTH.
2. A fugitive cannot return to its place of origin (HARMONY OF HUMANS IS HEARD AS DISCORD). A newborn is a fugitive from the womb, so children try to stay near their place of origin (KISSES BOLDLY ON OUR CHEEK) to find their voice (CRIES FOR FREEDOM), and take their place as world citizens.
3. Each family sets its space (PLACE FOR THROWING SOWER’S SEEDS) for building a nest and staking out a claim (FENCED ON SOILS) for growth and security (TO STAND WHERE TOILS OF FEET ARE PLANTED). Hard work and honesty help to shape an ethical person (BENDING LIFE TO LIVING LAND).
4. Children need family (OUR DEEPEST NEED IS KINSHIP) to teach them values and offer them rewards (HOWEVER DEAR OR DISTANT), exercise discipline and pursue dreams (FINE-TUNE COVENANTS OF DECENCY), show them how to work (THE FRUITS OF ALL OUR LABOR) and how to play (SHAPE AND SAVOR).
5. Our future rests with young people (SOW THE TILLING SEED), training them to take responsibility for themselves and others (FEEL ROOTS DEEP DIGGING DOWNWARD). Youth is a time of discovering (STAB FIELDS THROUGH SUMMER FIRES) where sacrifice is necessary to achieve equality and respect for all people (WATCHING SHOOTS), with a global vision (LOFT INTO SPIRES).
6. We must pay attention to those who live in deprivation (RUBBING IS THE TRUE FEEL OF POVERTY). When they lose their dignity (BRUISING INTO COMMUNITY), we lose ours as well. They will die with only the garments on their backs (…DIE-THREADS) without someone to care for them (WEAVE OUR GIFT OF LIFE). Programs such as Habitat for Humanity give them a new franchise for living (INTO THEIR PLEA FOR SOLIDARITY).
7. Those who sow the seeds of life (THROWERS OF THE SOWING SEED) combine their resources (STRIDE WING TO WING) and move together (IN CREATION’S DANCE) to sustain community (HARVEST ALL). Nature and humans create both good and destructive forces (ALL THAT NATURE KNOWS) but we strive to heal the world and seek moral guidance (GIVEN BY GOD’S OWN CHANCE).
8. We search for a unifying voice (SO STAND FLESH-ON-BONES) for society (WAKE NOW YOU AND ALL HUMANITY) to build a dwelling place for all faiths and nations, ethnic groups and cultures (TO SPEAK OUR SINGLE-THROATED STORY). Our wealth of resources and concern for people in the whole world are the foundations of our society (BEYOND THE STONES) that unite people on common ground (WHICH HOLD OUR WALLS). Oceans separate continents, but the waters join us together (WE ARE CRADLED) on our seamless planet (ALL AND ONLY BY THE SEA).