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A Poetry of Volunteering?

A Poetry of Volunteering?

I began work as a Coordinator of Volunteers in 1964. A year later I started writing poetry and haven't been able to stop since. I only hope this is not another occupational hazard in a profession already well supplied. Still, it's true that poetry can say some things hard to express in sober declarative text, as demonstrated by the wonderful lyrics to "The Volunteer Song" by Paul Horrisberger, an outstanding volunteer coordinator and musician, which I share below. Plus several other of my poems.

 

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Thu, 07/18/2002
Okay, Ivan--you braved it, so guess I can too! Garden of The Universal Spirit A Tribute to Volunteer Administrators Through those tending the caring spirit-- Souls hungering to grow beyond physical bounds of bone and skin to meet a universe of need, desire for contact and understanding, where ease from grief, thirst for knowledge find their source So beauty may grow there by the side of the crumbling and cracked sidewalk or in the desperate lives of the lonely or in the well-kept lives of your comfort or darkest gloom of night we share Coax them, nurture them, be patient! and the flowering of volunteer souls in bloom will grace all our knowing by Melissa Eystad World Spirit Consulting November 1996Okay, Ivan--you braved it, so guess I can too! Garden of The Universal Spirit A Tribute to Volunteer Administrators Through those tending the caring spirit-- Souls hungering to grow beyond physical bounds of bone and skin to meet a universe of need, desire for contact and understanding, where ease from grief, thirst for knowledge find their source So beauty may grow there by the side of the crumbling and cracked sidewalk or in the desperate lives of the lonely or in the well-kept lives of your comfort or darkest gloom of night we share Coax them, nurture them, be patient! and the flowering of volunteer souls in bloom will grace all our knowing Melissa Eystad World Spirit Consulting November 1996

Sat, 07/20/2002
The "response" below is not of the same quality but I hope it will show how much I appreciate Melissa's thoughts, and work, Melissa. Selecting Leaders for Volunterism (With thanks to Melissa) Yes, give us most of all Guardians of Universal spirit; Let them have skill, but for the most part Have a special hungering of heart, More than technique There is a certain soul we should seek To move armies of compassion In the never-ending enterprise of angels. (For further validation of the above screening criteria, please consult ten thousand other secret poets in volunteer administration) Ivan Scheier Stillpoint