Unlocking Hopes

Hope is a foundation and continued source of sustenance in our lives. But it is often locked, as during our recent COVID-19 lockdowns and the many wars and destructions preceding and succeeding it, such as in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan, among others. Unlocking Hopes: A Book of Poems brings together more than a hundred poets from around the world to help us not only unlock hope but also cultivate it with our sadhana, songs, and struggles for new worlds of beauty, dignity, and dialogue. It also invites us to realize that hope is a muscle, and we need to exercise it so it does not wither. There are key practices in maintaining hope: forest walking, being with friends, singing and dancing, meditating, participating in social, cultural, political, and spiritual movements, and looking up at the stars at night. Reading poetry is a hope-full practice. It nourishes the soul when so much in the world seems hopeless. Poets work on hope, seeing the writing and sharing of poetry as a calling to hope in dark times and against the odds. Yet, the work is what we need to do to keep our futures open and alive to our spiritual calling to be better tomorrow than we can manage today. This book contains hopeful poetry. Something for every day and also something for the times when things seem hopeless. Carry it with you, keep it close. It will enkindle sparks of fire, love, and hope. About the Editors Ananta Kumar Giri is a creative writer and is a Professor at Madras Institute of Development Studies, Chennai. Sushri Sangita Mishra is a contemporary poet from India, writing in Odia and English. Her poems and books have been translated and published in twelve languages in India and other countries, including French, Chinese, Hebrew and Hindi. Marcus Bussey is a futurist, historian and educator with a keen interest in intercultural encounters. He publishes widely and has co-authored many books.