In this world, it remains most difficult to establish lasting peace. Aggrandizement of power continues to deface nations; blind and violent talons never cease shaking and shattering fledgling roots of peace.
Still, as far as we can discern, to solidify the ground of lasting peace is the greatest purpose of human existence. It seems to me, therefore, that each of us ought to continue seeking better ways of living together in peace, of leading one another from blindness to awareness, violence to benevolence, darkness to light, and from death to life.
Poetry can play such a role in peacemaking. In his book "Memorias (Memoirs)," Pablo Neruda (Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto, 1904-73) remarks, "Poetry is an act of peace. Peace goes into the making of a poet as flour goes into the making of bread."