“The distinction between historian and poet is not in the one writing prose and the other verse… the one describes the thing that has been, and the other a kind of thing that might be. Hence poetry is something more philosophic and of graver import than history, since its statements are of the nature rather of universals, whereas those of history are singulars.” – Aristotle, On Poetics
The poem is the language of the world, the greatest mode of literary transport known to humankind. It can do more than prose, in less space. A poem can provide solace for the lonely; a hearth for the lost; a voice for the disenfranchised; balm for the tired mind. It can silence the cynic, or seed crops for the next generation of literary dissidents to harvest. A great poem is resonant, as potent 100 years later as it was at the time of writing. It doesn’t have anything more than it needs to make its point, or presence felt. It is there in the rites of passage: amongst the first rhythms heard in the nursery; amongst the vows of marriage; furnishing the exit with recital at a funeral.
Poets have been called the “technicians of the sacred”. In essence, they are the reeds through which the greater wind of the universal is blown. This is to say that the poet is not the most important part of the making of a poem. It is the sacred: it is always the sacred. The poem is greater than the creator. And it is exactly this type of poetry, the type that is imbued with the sacred, the universal, that the Web of Humanity is searching for. Poetry that is bold in making us remember who we are; poetry that will confront the disorders of our age with a fearless glare; poetry for the common soul – the puncher of clocks; the tiller of soils; the makers of homes – those whose hands are dirty with the day.
We are calling for you to enter your poem to help us raise money for The Global Fund, an organisation dedicated to allocating the funds needed to combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis around the world.
Submissions to Poetry For Humanity can be of any type: free verse or rhyme; sonnet, haiku or sestina; humorous, sad, or political. It’s not about style, it’s all to do with substance. What can you say?
Submissions must be related to the overall theme of a common humanity, yet entries related to the specific topic of AIDS are highly encouraged.
To have yourself stand out more in The Blog Honour Roll, the catalogue for entrants of Poetry For Humanity’s World Aids Day 2007 event, please submit a short biography of any length up to 500 words, along with a photo/promo shot (can be a jacket design or flyer) of approximately 200 x 200 pixels in size.
All pieces will be voted upon by the Web For Humanity audience via online polling, for ultimate inclusion in the inaugural Poetry For Humanity book edition, to be made available through online publisherLulu.com on December 10, 2007. 100% of all profits from the sale will be donated to The Global Fund.
Please be advised that profane or erotic content of a gratuitous nature will not be linked to. All submissions must be entered no later than 11pm on Friday, November 30, 2007, for inclusion on the day. We look forward to your submission, and wish you good luck with your entry.
Submitting is easy! Simply send us a link to your poem by using our submission form. 
Click here for the submission form
Help us get the word out! If you’ve made a submission, or if you’re cheering on a group or artist as a friend or fan, please display the Music For Humanity banners wherever you possibly can. Just copy and paste the code beneath whichever image you wish to use, and help promote this initiative!
To copy, right-click in the box, and choose “Select All” from the pop-up menu.
Then right-click once more on the selection, and select “Copy”.
Your code is now ready to paste.
To copy, right-click in the box, and choose “Select All” from the pop-up menu.
Then right-click once more on the selection, and select “Copy”.
Your code is now ready to paste.
For concerns relating to copyright and content use, please refer to the following documents:
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