Sojourners has published poetry — the language of praise, lament, psalm, scripture, love, and prayer — in our magazine pages since our earliest years. In recognition of National Poetry Month’s “Poetry in Our Pocket Day,” and in celebration of Sojourners’ historical love of poetry, our staff selects our favorite poems below. And be sure to check out the poem published in our May 2015 issue,“This Is Praying” by Lisa Dordal.
Karen Lattea, Vice President, Human Resources
"Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front" by Wendell Berry
“Ask the questions that have no answers. / Invest in the millennium. Plant sequoias. / Say that your main crop is the forest / that you did not plant, / that you will not live to harvest.”
For a person of faith fighting injustice, these words can lift heart and soul. Desmond Tutu likewise said, “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world,” echoing Pete Seeger’s philosophy that the accumulation of many small deeds adds up to big change.
Charissa Laisy, Mobilizing Assistant
"i believe in living." by Assata Shakur
“And i believe that a lost ship, / steered by tired, seasick sailors, / can still be guided home to port.”
Shakur’s life as a targeted, criminalized, and exiled woman makes her pained yet hopeful poetry all the more moving. Her conviction that justice can be achieved with movements led by “tired, seasick sailors” gives me hope on my most pessimistic days.
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