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Poetry Archive Now Wordview 2022: Centenary Celebrations
by Dean Gessie
"Centenary Celebrations" is an aspirational poem that responds to the hopes and dreams of a generation that seeks inclusivity and peace.
Poetry Archive Now Wordview 2022: Centenary Celebrations
when I am one hundred, inclusive language will be rain and bulb
and we shall use these to plant and harvest and nourish
when I am one hundred, skin colour will be as autumn leaves
and the viewfinders of wePhones shall frame wonder and awe
when I am one hundred, the animals of the earth will be holy of holies
and they shall no longer know the bullet, the knife and the net
when I am one hundred, the atmosphere will be rich with oxygen
and we shall only hear of fossil fuel deployment in war museums
when I am one hundred, social media will be as the solar system
and we shall not see dark matter but for the billions of stars
when I am one hundred, the stock exchange will stock things useful
and those who visit shall not want for food, shelter or friends
when I am one hundred, the gender rainbow will be the vault of heaven
and this shall be the flag of Yahweh and of all nations and peoples
when I am one hundred, climate change will be axis, tilt and rotation
and we shall only seriously discuss the Four Seasons of Vivaldi
when I am one hundred, children will sit with lawmakers and politicians
and adults shall navigate legislation with moral compasses
when I am one hundred, houses of worship will only honor one visit
and the faithful shall have as many homes as they do houses
when I am one hundred, indigenous peoples will have reclaimed their land
and generations of colonizers shall exchange loot bags for tourist visas
and when I am one hundred, I and my partner will make love like acrobats
and we shall give thanks for middle age and our next hundred years
Poem recorded as part of Poetry Archive Now: Wordview 2022. Used by permission of author.
A special thank you to our WordView 2021 poets.
Chair of the Judging Panel, Joelle Taylor, says: "We were thrilled by the range and scope of the poetry and techniques explored throughout the wide submissions. I have said before that to write a poem is an act of resistance but to then perform it as well is a revolution. It takes a bravery to face the page, and a further one to stand by your words. While we’ve all become more used to filming ourselves over the pandemic, all of us were deeply aware of that courage.
Often when on a judging panel we find ourselves faced with impossible decisions. If you can imagine, after sifting, it’s as though a hundred people have crossed the finish line at precisely the same moment but there are only three medals. How do we come to these decisions? Through the objective unpicking of the poems, through our individual passions, through a consideration of narratives, especially those lesser heard. We come to it through uneasy negotiation and through heart, and above all through our shared love and understanding of the possibilities of poetry.
Our honest applause goes to all who submitted, and I hope you can hear it.
Congratulations to those we selected. We hope to see you all again soon."
See the collectionWatch the full Wordview 2022 playlist