Poems for Peace, an event conceived and initiated by SICA, the Subud International Cultural Association, was presented by Subud Greater Seattle on September 21, 2013, at Spring Street Center in Seattle, the Subud House. Paul Nelson organized and emceed the event and several regional Subud members, and some invited guests, performed poems, songs and musical invocations to celebrate peace. As was mentioned during the evening, peace is not the absence of war, but something more subtle and powerful. As M. Scott Peck points out there must be vulnerability and community. Both qualities were evident on this particular evening and celebrated by the audience of 40 attendees.

Here then is the audio of the evening as it happened:

1. Introduction, Paul Nelson (2:57)

2. Invocation by Jim O’Halloran (3:14)

3. Rant (Diane diPrima) performed by Paul and Meredith Nelson (5:04)

4. Excerpt from The Bidden Fruit, Benjamin Boyce (6:54)

5. Marching for Peace, Hadiyah Carlyle (4:16)

6. The Undergrown Beast and A Mother’s Nightmare by Ibtihal Mahmoud (3:35)

7. Peace all over the World (excerpts from a 50s style high school musical) Philip Quackenbush (6:22)

8. Notes on being a Gulf War Refugee Meena Rose (5:14)

9. Poetry Postcards as Peace Process, Paul Nelson (2:47)

10. Emile Ward (5:53)

11. Dreaming of Mother Moon, Carol Edson (Blackbird) (5:34)

12. Give War a Chance, Faiza Sultan (9:04)

13. Motherwit (from Pig War & Other Songs of Cascadia) Paul Nelson (6:46)

14. Happy Birthday to Paul (1:26)

15. Jim O’Halloran, Closing Flute Prayer (6:21)