"FOR OUR WORLD" CAMPAIGN
On September 11, 2001, Mattie watched personal friends perish during terrorist attacks. “For Our World” is the poem he penned that day as his response to universal questions of "What now? What next?" He hoped that one day, these words would serve as an international passage for peace. Sadly, acts of random and planned violence continue to occur in countries all over the world. As we move through the 10th anniversary of this tragic day, it is my hope that these words now be spread around the world through the powerful tools of the media and the internet, and through the choices we each make in thought, word, and deed each day. May these words serve as a catalyst for changing mottos of 'revenge' into credos of 'rebuild.' Together, let us rebuild the mosaic of humanity.
You can be a part of this global peace effort!
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Please consider translating the poem into another language, and send it to heartsongsbooks@aol.com. Once approved, it will be posted to the downloadable list below with your name and your peace- or communication-related website. | |
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Please post or link to this poem from your website, and encourage others to do the same. | |
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Please download the poem and post it on bulletin boards, refrigerators, desks, and more. |
FOR OUR WORLD
We need to stop.
Just stop.
Stop for a moment…
Before anybody
Says or does anything
That may hurt anyone else.
We need to be silent.
Just silent.
Silent for a moment…
Before we forever lose
The blessing of songs
That grow in our hearts.
We need to notice.
Just notice.
Notice for a moment…
Before the future slips away
Into ashes and dust of humility.
Stop, be silent, and notice…
In so many ways, we are the same.
Our differences are unique treasures.
We have, we are, a mosaic of gifts
To nurture, to offer, to accept.
We need to be.
Just be.
Be for a moment…
Kind and gentle, innocent and trusting,
Like children and lambs,
Never judging or vengeful
Like the judging and vengeful.
And now, let us pray,
Differently, yet together,
Before there is no earth, no life,
No chance for peace.
Mattie J.T. Stepanek ©
September 11, 2001
Hope Through Heartsongs
Hyperion, 2002
Just Peace: A Message of Hope
Andrews McMeel, 2006
Peace,
Jeni ("Mattie's mom")
Translations
English 5x7 Afrikaans
Akan (Ghanaian)
Albanian
Arabic
Arabic (alternate)
Chinese
Chinese - Mandarin
Chinese - Shanghai
Croatian
Danish
Dutch
Esperanto
Fijan - Bauan
French
French (alternate)
Ga (South African)
German
German (alternate)
Greek
Gujarati
Haitian Creole
Hebrew
Hebrew (alternate)
Hindi
Hindi (alternate)
Hungarian
Icelandic
Indonesian
Italian
Italian (alternate)
Japanese (script)
Japanese (phonetic)
Japanese (alternate)
Kiswahili
Korean
Kyrgyz
Luo
Malay
Malayalam
Maragoli
Mongolian
Norwegian
Norwegian (alternate)
Pirate
Portuguese
Portuguese (alternate)
Russian
Russian (alternate)
Sinhalese
Spanish
Swahili
Swedish
Swedish (alternate)
Tagalog (Philippines)
Tagalog (Philippines alternate)
Tagalog (Philippines alternate A)
Tamil
Thai
Turkish
Vietnamese
Wolof
Yiddish
Zulu
