My mother, Carol Veysey, was a beautiful writer and especially loved writing poetry. I know she would have loved to have had her work published while she was alive, but never got the chance. So one of my favourite parts of being a writer myself is publishing her work whenever I get the chance.

Here is a poem she wrote when she was younger, which I feel is fitting as we start a brand new year. She describes a desire to see a world filled with peace and free of war, which is just as relevant now as it was many years ago when she first wrote it.

A Changing Situation 

by Carol Veysey

The dove of peace flies o’er the world,
Disheartened, not contented,
Seeing flags of war unfurled,
And killing unrelented.
This dove of peace swoops down to earth 
To view the situation;
Finds only war, no joy or mirth,
He feels an obligation 
To relieve the world of dire distress.
But how? 
With shame, he lowers his head,
Fellowship under God, no less -
But he cannot help the already dead
And suffering. 
The changing situation is accounted for - 
War and more war;
The world will feel a moral decay:
They’ll learn that war will never pay.
Won't someone stop the eternal bickering,
Warfare, and resentments;
The peace…lights of many lands are flickering,
Could we now make our amendments?