"Witness" an anthology of poetry published by Serengeti Press
(Note: after I posted this, I received an email from Stella at Serengeti, advising me that I had mistyped the website address, which is now corrected. She also asked me to add that the book is available to veterans for the reduced price of $15.)
Excerpt from Introduction, John B. Lee, Poet & Author:
The poets within the pages of the anthology, Witness, refuse the lie agreed upon. One great lessson of history is this: war itself is the true enemy of humankind. If as I believe, evil is that which makes the worst from the best, then perhaps war is the ultimate evil. It is interesting to note that the word war has the same root as the word 'worse'. And we are always demonstrably worse for waging war. One need only acknowledge the count of the dead to realise there is no such a thing as a just war. When Churchill was asked by Roosevelt, 'what shall we call this war,' meaning what shall we call what has come to be known as World War II, the old warrior Churchill replied, 'the unnecessary war.' And with forty million dead to measure the cost, we might seek a better way to wage the peace; a way to learn the lessons from our past mistakes.
The word 'witness' takes as its primary definition: knowledge, understanding and wisdom. Change but a single consonant and achieve its opposite, for 'witless' means lacking in wisdom, being unreasonable, foolish and heedless. Most of the poets within the pages of this book lack first-hand experience with war. There are only a few eye-witness accounts. However, you will find herein the imaginative leap into empathy, compassion, and suffering of the optic heart.
'Witness' can be purchased for $20 from Serengeti Press; website: www.serengetipress.ca, email: serengeti@sympatico.ca, phone: (647)388-2092. Special price for veterans: $15.
Excerpt from Introduction, John B. Lee, Poet & Author:
The poets within the pages of the anthology, Witness, refuse the lie agreed upon. One great lessson of history is this: war itself is the true enemy of humankind. If as I believe, evil is that which makes the worst from the best, then perhaps war is the ultimate evil. It is interesting to note that the word war has the same root as the word 'worse'. And we are always demonstrably worse for waging war. One need only acknowledge the count of the dead to realise there is no such a thing as a just war. When Churchill was asked by Roosevelt, 'what shall we call this war,' meaning what shall we call what has come to be known as World War II, the old warrior Churchill replied, 'the unnecessary war.' And with forty million dead to measure the cost, we might seek a better way to wage the peace; a way to learn the lessons from our past mistakes.
The word 'witness' takes as its primary definition: knowledge, understanding and wisdom. Change but a single consonant and achieve its opposite, for 'witless' means lacking in wisdom, being unreasonable, foolish and heedless. Most of the poets within the pages of this book lack first-hand experience with war. There are only a few eye-witness accounts. However, you will find herein the imaginative leap into empathy, compassion, and suffering of the optic heart.
'Witness' can be purchased for $20 from Serengeti Press; website: www.serengetipress.ca, email: serengeti@sympatico.ca, phone: (647)388-2092. Special price for veterans: $15.
posted by lionheart at 7:48 PM
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