International Day of Peace 

The essence of a firefly in a child’s palm,

a faint spark against perpetual night,

echo of laughter in a valley of silence.

Hummingbird graffiti on a concrete wall,

a color that breaks the monotony of hatred,

a musical note out of tune with a war anthem.

Origami cranes,

a thousand wishes folded in paper of hope,

an army of dreams invading reality.

It is not a white flag of surrender,

but a secret garden blossoming ideas,

a weeping willow’s embrace

comforting the warrior.

A river of ink writing new stories,

a canvas painting possible futures,

a constellation of joined hands

illuminating the universe.

GRACIELA NOEMI VILLAVERDE is a writer and poet from Concepción del Uruguay (Entre Rios) Argentina, based in Buenos Aires She graduated in letters and is the author of seven books of poetry, awarded several times worldwide. She works as the World Manager of Educational and Social Projects of the Hispanic World Union of Writers and is the UHE World Honorary President of the same institution Activa de la Sade, Argentine Society of Writers. She is the Commissioner of Honor in the executive cabinet IN THE EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIAL RELATIONS DIVISION, of the UNACCC SOUTH AMERICA ARGENTINA CHAPTER.