Editions
The home to all of the poetic and artistic work done by creators around the world. Check out our newest edition!
Edition 6: An Internal Landscape
As our youth grapples with being the first generation born “with technology”, as well as having to mature in a very polarizing time, the P4P team wanted to emphasize the trials and journeys of mental health in today’s society. Through the stages Isolation, Understanding Our Hearts, and Healing, we have curated poetry and art that represents the transformative and creative qualities of our minds. Our writing can be a vessel for our emotions; it can house our anxieties and celebrate our joys. We hope to encompass the experience and growth of young people who have expressed their struggles through their pieces. Poetry connects us to the intimate thoughts and feelings of one another. It is a conversation we have with ourselves and the world, and P4P hopes to help cultivate that dialogue.
Edition 4: Hope: A Practice
January 31st
In a world chasmed by hate, it is difficult to hope. Our socio-political climate today is but a testament to this verisimilitude. As false promises and transient solutions have become woven within the fabric of our democracy, hope is often relegated to the naive sentiment of our youth. But a wise teacher once reminded me that hope is a practice: a silent meditation. With every inhale, the intention of our breath becomes second nature; with every practice, the intention of our hopes become reality. In Edition IV, we will be exploring the 4 stages of hope: Rage, Despair, Reflection, and Hope. You will witness the stories of poets hailing from all corners of the world. From England to Indonesia to the US, they illuminate their fearless journeys in searching for strings of light amidst the relentless darkness. As we embark on this revolutionary meditation, let our hurt herald into the greatest hope. Because while I have my doubts about our leaders today, I harbor nothing but hope for our leaders of tomorrow. After all, we are far from naive.
Edition 3: Reclamation
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November 30th 2023
Reclamation is the reckoning that we have been waiting for. Derived from the root “reclaim,” reclamation transcends a single definition. At its core, however, it relates to power. Power, being the omnipotent, omnipresent dictator of every system and de facto apparatus within our society. In a social strata that has existed for centuries, power is disaggregated from the top down. Like the trickle down effect, little to nothing is left for those who laid the foundation of our nation. But through a fearless reclamation of voice, identity, and liberty, we gradually become divorced from this dichotomy. We reclaim our power as exploitation becomes a relic of the past. In this Edition, you’ll witness the awakening of a new sovereignty: one that rings the harmony of civil rights as a preordained human right. We thank you for joining us in this
Edition 2: In A Language We Can All Understand
October 31st 2023
Humankind is anything but homogeneous: we speak in different dialects, carry different cultures, and treasure different truths. And while there is beauty in our difference, there is also a song in our same: we all share the language of collective liberation. Not just for humanity, but for all that it encompasses. Be it humankind or the natural world, we are inextricably intertwined by the need to be free — liberated from external and internal oppression. In this edition, you will find the lyrics of our minds, our earth, and our communities sung by poet activists around the globe. They speak in the language we can all understand: our collective imperative to find peace within ourselves and the world around us. And we hope that you will find your language in these pages too. We welcome readers from all walks of life, regardless of poetry acuity, by providing a colloquial statement alongside each poem. Thank you for being here. Your support is a stand in solidarity for systems of liberation.
Edition I: Entropy to Equity
September 30th 2023
Entropy is defined as a measure of disorder in our universe; Equity is defined as a measure of equilibrium. In a society shackled by racial injustice, gender inequality, and environmental destruction, we find ourselves in a constant state of chaos. But this very entropy is what leads us to hope for equity. As poets, we pick up the pen and ink. And then we write. And then we indict. The truth told from our tongues today, will write the pages of a better tomorrow. Thank you to the Poetry4Progress team, all of our contributors, and you, the reader. Woven through the next few pages, you will find what we stand(za) for.
