you caress the needy,
the countless who have been torn up by struggle and despair
the women who search for strength and new beginnings
the children who are wanting no more than to be creative blossoming souls
the men who feel responsible for not giving sanctuary to their families
the heroes who have confronted their darkest hours and emerged to share their stories
the fragile hearts of all of those who have survived war
the determined mothers who line the streets of the world
in defiance calling for an end of poverty and abuse
the schools who you have collected togather round our young with endless vigor to sketch their passions, joys determined to spread healing
the international communities who convene as one loud voice so they can all be depicted on canvass
the nations who toil together for a hope for tomorrow
the sweet innocence of wildlife besieging us with pleas for help
the planet as it gasps for breath, our planet, your planet
you translate these dreams in endless hues inspiring the beholder
your vision has and will always be a beacon to find courage and hope in creation
you have opened our eyes with the gift of showing us how to translate grief, catastrophe and fear
by painting a global picture in a wider lens to encompass us all
to feed our tired spirit and thirsty minds
infinite murals that now tell the epic tale of mankind in this desperate era,
for it is you Joanne and your blessed Fouad who remind us that together we can remake history".
W ith endless love by Tish Lampert
