In honor of the International Day of Peace, making a special post for this. I wrote these words as part of my contribution to La Familia: Peace will come the day we forget how to drop the bombs or make the guns, When we get along underneath the same old sun, Singing songs in holy unison no matter where we’re from, Yes, peace will come. Peace will come. Pray before the day is done.
My friend, Fred Ross-Perry was inspired by them and expanded it into these lyrics, and the song:
Peace will come, and it won’t be long When we forget how to drop the bombs When we forget how to make the guns That’s when peace will come
Peace will come when we get along When we get along underneath the sun All together under that same old sun That’s when peace will come
Peace will come when we’re singing songs Singing in holy unison Singing no matter where we’re from That’s when peace will come
Yes, Peace will come, and it won’t be long We’ll help each other to be strong And we’ll work until the day is done, That’s when peace will come.
These words also appear in the 2019 Vallejo Peace Project anthology Verses, Voices, & Visions of Vallejo.
My poems “Vallejo, California,” “Back Door,” “Host Poet,” “Parallels” and “The 7 Words You Cannot Say in a ‘Free’ Country” were reprinted in this anthology which I compiled.
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About the Book
Local bookstores and libraries often provide venues for poets and local authors, and many of them have invited me to read over the years, so when possible, please shop local! Any bookstore should be able to special order it for you using the ISBN, so please utilize your local independent bookshop. The book is also available through interlibrary loan. Check WorldCat for which libraries currently carry this title.
This collective book featuring 43 writers was released March 13, 2019 with a reading at the Vallejo JFK Library in the Joseph Room with proceeds benefitting the Vallejo Peace Project.
To read contributor biographies please visit this link: poetryebook.com/vallejo-anthology-contributor-bios/To preview this book please visit Google Books.
List Price: $20.00
8.5″ x 11″ (21.59 x 27.94 cm)
Black & White on White paper
196 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1724462633
ISBN-10: 1724462636
BISAC: Poetry / Anthologies
A collective anthology authored by:
DIANA ALDEN
OLIVIA ANDERSON
KYRAH AYERS
DANIEL BADIALI
GENEA BRICE
JESSICA BROWN
LEI KIM SAWYER CHAVEZ
JULIA DVORIN
JOHANNA ELY
RANJIT SINGH GILL
AMY GIOLETTI
G.O. 284
GREY
MORGAN HANNIGAN
TRAVIS JACKSON, JR.
KATHLEEN
JEFFREY KINGMAN
CHUCK LAMPLIGHTER
D.L. LANG
LADY-D
LEE LEE
LUCINDA LEES
AQUEILA M. LEWIS
MYRA NISSEN
KELLIANE PARKER
POETIC OLD SOUL
CAROL PEARLMAN
BOBBY RICHARDSON
FRED ROSS-PERRY
NINA SERRANO
RAVI SHANKAR
ERIKA SNYDER
JEREMY SNYDER
REGINA SPARROW
TOM STANTON
DIANA TENES
KEITH THOMPSON
AMBER VON NAGEL
BECKY BISHOP WHITE
JEFF WILLIAMS
JAMES WESTLEY
LISA WILSON
LOIS WU
Edited by
D.L. LANG
Vallejo Poet Laureate 2017-2019
Vallejo Waterfront Cover Photo by
JESSICA BROWN
Available at Bookshop Benicia in Benicia, California, and Alibi Bookshop in Vallejo, California. A copy is also archived at the Benicia Public Library, and in circulation in the Solano County Library system.
Proceeds of offline sales benefit the Vallejo Peace Project. Please contact Lisa Wilson vallejopeaceproject@gmail.com or D.L. Lang to get bulk copies for your organization.
For out of state orders, please use amazon.com
I met several talented poets and lyricists when performing at poetry by the bay, poetry in notion, and across my life. I wanted to bring them all together in one book, as many of them as were willing to submit their work.
I collected poems for 8 months, spent 4 months compiling and editing. I didn’t change very much of what was originally submitted, so as to retain the voice and style of the original authors. My focus was on what they had to say, not how they said it. I also accepted every person who submitted a poem and bio. I think poets receive enough rejection based on subjective reasons, so I wanted to be fully inclusive.
I had originally intended on just a book about Vallejo, but I tossed aside my own rules to allow for more freedom of expression. I was delighted with everything that I received. As the poems came in I found the book to be relatable on a personal level, talking about love and loss, as well as talking about global issues such as racism, peace, revolution, poverty, and trauma. With its wide breadth of important subject matter it became a book I enjoyed reading as I edited.
I also wanted to show that in the most diverse city in America we can unite in the name of poetry and peace. I didn’t want to give the money to an arts organization or keep it for myself, so I chose Vallejo Peace Project. Vallejo has a lot of violence, and they encourage people to be the change, spread positivity, and commit random acts of kindness to make the world a better place.
Since I am not paid as a poet laureate, I funded the project with my savings, and we had a beautiful book launch in the spring at the library where we sold out of copies, and raised money for the peace project. I hadn’t originally intended releasing the book on a wide scale, but there was some additional demand afterwards. You can get the book at Bookshop Benicia, Alibi Bookshop, and online. Lisa Wilson has copies that benefit the peace project.Hi! Enjoying what you’re reading? Please consider buying a book, or using the donation button on the sidebar. Poets aren’t always compensated for our performances and efforts, and doing so would help out greatly and ensure this website stays around for years to come. All of my gigs have been cancelled until further notice. Please stay safe everyone. If you would like to support me at this time, please consider buying one of my books from your favorite online retailer.
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Hi! Enjoying what you’re reading? Please consider buying a book, or using the donation button on the sidebar. Poets aren’t always compensated for our performances and efforts, and doing so would help out greatly and ensure this website stays around for years to come. All of my gigs have been cancelled until further notice. Please stay safe everyone. If you would like to support me at this time, please consider buying one of my books from your favorite online retailer. No ratings yet.