The poetry reading on 7th of Sept 2014

The Programme was presented and moderated by

Gertrude Spiteri

Good evening ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you for joining us for this evening of poetry reading.

The theme chosen for this evening is ‘In Search of Peace’. Since the end of WW II, Peace has never been so elusive. We are witnessing instability and conflicts in many countries, some of them quite close to our doorstep.

One of the aims of “Families for Lifelong Learning” is to bring awareness to the community and bring a different perspective on issues which are affecting the world around us.

We feel that poets, through their poems can teach us how to reflect and perhaps view the world from a different perspective. We hope that the insights created through this evening and the discussions generated, will make us realize that we cannot take PEACE for granted. We have to work at it.

Hopefully, this will help us to start accepting our differences and deal with them in a more peaceful way.

I will quote from Yiorgos Chouliaras, one of the poet contributors this evening:

“As a mother of human interaction, poetry seeks to prevent man from becoming a father who devours his children”.

The evening is divided in 5 parts which can be followed from the booklet handed at the beginning. But before we embark on this poetic journey, I would like to introduce Dr. Hatto Fischer, a poet and philosopher, who is one of the minds behind this event.

Short Introduction by Hatto Fischer

Part I - In search of peace

Paul Dalli Prince of Peace

read by himself

Germain Droogenbroodt Peaceful Morning in the Himalayas

read by Kevin Ferriggi

K. Satchidanandan What the elements taught me

read by Gertrude Spiteri

Yiorgos Chouliaras Histories

read in Greek and English by Yannis Melachrinoudis

Musical intervention:

Bach Invention in C, BWV 772. (Piano)

played by John Anthony Fsadni

My Heart Ever Faithful (Soprano & piano)

Soprano Gabrielle Dalli

Part II -Scars of war

Hatto Fischer Things washed ashore read by himself

Ingrid and Gerhard Zwerenz The Germans to the front the poem was read in German and English by Hatto Fischer

Philip Meersman Look Dad

read by nine year old Daniel Spiteri

with the mother looking on and the father waiting in the audience to buy him an ice cream with which the poem by Philip Meersman ends. The poem is about a boy about to depart since he sweeps the fields for mines and before leaving talks with his dad.

Dileep Jhaveri War for an Autobiography