I Want To Stand

Originally posted 23 June 2017

Dear lovelies,

Hello there. There is usually a preamble to my posts, but I have chosen to ‘postamble’ today because I just wanted to start with a poem I have written…

I Want To Stand

A Poem by Lucy Peltier

I want to stand…

In a meadow full of wild flowers,

The warmth of sun rays on my face,

Sounds of children laughing and bees buzzing,

In this moment, a gentle pace.

I want to stand…

Atop a hill looking down yonder,

This fine, green land spread before,

Paths trodden by those who’ve passed behind us,

To be walked upon once more.

I want to stand…

Amongst the heather on high moor,

Fragile bilberries growing between,

Wild ponies are free to gallop and to graze,

To be treasured by all when seen.

I want to stand…

In sparkling waters of gentle stream,

Soft rhythm ebbs and flows,

Swaying in harmony, feeling the sensations,

Soothing away my woes.

I want to stand…

Beneath a protective canopy of trees,

Listening to glorious forest sounds,

Of earth softly crunching, leaves rustling, birds calling,

Life has been allowed to abound.

I want to stand…

Alongside ancient hedgerow,

Full and bursting with berries sweet,

Respectfully using nature’s gift and her bounty,

Growing around me and beneath my feet.

I want to stand….

In a colourful marketplace in my city,

Fruits and curiosities from every land,

Happy and healthy competition, making an honest living,

This is where I want to stand.

I want to stand…

Beneath the expansive starry night sky,

In this Universe we are but small,

Knowing that we are part of a bigger system,

Yes we are precious, but not all.

I want to stand…

Where our country meets the sea,

Views to distant horizon never beyond,

Thoughts of people living in lands far afield,

A shared humanity is our bond.

I want to stand…

Amongst people of all walks,

Our differences, we celebrate,

Through thoughtful discourse we move carefully onwards,

With love, no place for hate.

I want to stand…

Where governments are for the people,

And politicians take the honest stance,

Where justice works, the media cannot lie,

and everyone has a chance.

I want to stand…

Where lands were once fought over,

But where peace is now vowed and kept,

Where acceptance, tolerance and love prevail,

Where people live in mutual respect.

I want to stand…

For people, for kindness, for love,

For the many, not for the few,

Have fraught times in history taught us nothing?

Alas, this is by no means new!

I want to stand…

Here in sweet contemplation,

Of a world where life is for all,

Where we have left our children a legacy of joy,

So we feel we can stand tall.

I want to stand…

For all of our dear children,

For them to be safe and to be free,

To see their untroubled frolics and play,

For them, this is my plea.

For surely if we were all to stand,

Together, for more unites us than divides,

They would see from our good example,

And a better future, we would provide.

I want to stand…

Joining hands with you my beloved

My treasure, my joy and my hope,

Our shared delights, promises and ideals

Keep us strong so we can cope

I want to stand

With you, with them, with all,

In truth, no matter what life may bring,

And when I can no longer stand at the end of my days,

I want to have stood for something.

I wrote this poem as a way of expressing my feelings after the tragic attacks and events in Manchester and London but further afield too. It began as a kind of escapism…Where would I like to be physically? What would I like to see and experience? What might bring me moments of peace and joy?

It then turned into a poem about ideals…What values would I like to live by? What kind of world do I want my kids to grow up in? What do I want our society and community to look and feel like? How can we do better? I could have written so much more! When I read my poem now, I see it is also about rights. It is about what each and every one of us has a right to – peace, hope, fairness, health, happiness, safety, kindness, love…life. It makes me terribly sad to see these rights being denied to people in my city, my country and much further beyond.

Like many people, I am asking myself what more I can do. Like many, my response is a determination to carry on and live my life with love and kindness. Seeing this response everywhere and witnessing all of the wonderful people who step in to help and use their voices to bring about change, gives me hope.

To me, living with the values touched on in my poem feels like a good place to start but perhaps there is more I could do. I have a few ideas but they all lie beyond my comfort zone so I am going to have to be a little bit brave and step outside to find the path forward. I’ll keep you posted sweet peas!