Happy Valentine's Day - Let Love Flow

 

Related poem: Spread the Love

Together In Harmony

 

 "Peace on Earth" - Bahamas AI Art

 ©A. Derek Catalano

 

 

Together In Harmony

In the corridors of history, where the ancient shadows lie,
We have built up mighty fortresses beneath a heavy sky.
We’ve carved the world in segments, drawing lines upon the sand,
With a prejudice for borders and a claim on every land.
We have looked upon our neighbor with a cold and wary eye,
Letting differences of color or of creed become a lie—
A lie that says we’re separate, that we’re cast in different molds,
While the story of our common heart remains a tale untold.

But the winds of change are stirring in the valley of the soul,
A whisper growing louder that we finally must be whole.
For the steel of every weapon and the fire of every war,
Has never brought the solace that our weary spirits implore.
We have marched through centuries of grief and bitter, hollow pride,
With a chest of heavy secrets and no place for them to hide.
Yet the morning light is breaking on a vision wide and vast,
Where we lay the heavy armor of our prehistoric past.

Imagine now a kingdom not of silver or of gold,
But a commonwealth of kindness where the truth is finally told.
Where the language that we speak is not a tool of sharp deceit,
But a bridge of understanding where the mind and spirit meet.
Where the labels we’ve inherited—the "them" and then the "us"—
Are dissolved like morning mist beneath a light of mutual trust.
For the skin is but a garment, and the faith a different song,
In a choir where every melody has always did belong.

Strive for Peace

 

 

 

Related poem: Who Pushed the Button

Love is the Key

 

 

Related poem: The Answer Is Love

Love Your Haters

 

Decrease and Increase

 

What the world needs now is more love.

Peace on Earth: A Vow Beyond the Season

 

 "Peace Tree" - Bahamas AI Art

 ©A. Derek Catalano

 

 

 Peace on Earth: A Vow Beyond the Season

Part I: The Midwinter Hush

Upon the weary world, a silence falls,
A velvet hush within the winter night,
No trumpet blast, no frantic bugle calls,
But soft reflections of the candle’s light.
The snow descends to blanket every street,
To mute the heavy tread of marching feet,
And for a moment, under starry skies,
The anger sleeping in the city dies.

We speak of "Peace on Earth" on this one day,
When pine and holly decorate the door,
We put the armor of our grief away,
And vow to study violence no more.
It feels so simple when the choir sings,
And when the bell inside the steeple rings;
A truce is called in every human heart,
And enemies agree to stand apart.

The hearth is warm, the cider mug is deep,
The children dream in innocence and trust,
The promises we made, we try to keep,
And brush away the cynicism’s dust.
It is a golden hour, fragile, bright,
A single candle conquering the night,
Where neighbor smiles at neighbor in the cold,
And kindness is the only hand we hold.

Learn to Love Yourself

 

 "Love Yourself" - Bahamas AI Art

 ©A. Derek Catalano

 

 

Learn to Love Yourself

 
The mirror shows a stranger's eyes,
Reflecting back what you despise.
A whispered doubt, a silent plea,
For someone else you wish to be.
The world, a stage of judging stares,
Compares your worth, and plants its snares.
Each flaw magnified, each virtue lost,
A silent battle, counting cost.

But listen close, a gentle hum,
A truth within, about to come.
Before the world can truly see,
The brilliance that resides in thee,
You must unearth, with tender hand,
The treasure buried in this land—
Your very self, flawed, grand, and deep,
The promises your spirit keeps.

For self-love isn't vanity's gleam,
Nor ego's loud, demanding dream.
It's quiet strength, a steady grace,
Accepting every time and place,
The curves, the lines, the scars you wear,
The burdens that your heart can bear.
It's knowing worth, beyond the gaze,
Through sunlit days and misty haze.

Make Love, Not War

 

" Make Love, Not War" - Bahamas AI Art

 ©A. Derek Catalano

 

 

 Make Love, Not War

The world, a canvas, stained with crimson hue,
Where brother fights with brother, old wounds made new.
From distant lands, the echoes reach our ears,
Of cannons roaring, silencing our fears.
Missiles carve the sky, a fiery, fleeting arc,
While bombs descend, leaving their brutal mark.
The gun's harsh bark, a symphony of dread,
As lives are shattered, and the innocent are dead.
A whispered rumor, then a deafening roar,
New wars ignite, consuming evermore.

Yet in this darkness, hope's a fragile flame,
A quiet yearning, whispering a name.
Not conquest, power, nor the victor's pride,
But love and understanding, side by side.
To shed the armor, lay the weapons down,
To build a bridge where walls have held a town.
To seek the common ground, the shared desire,
And quell the embers of destructive fire.

Give Peace and Love

 

"Peace and Love" - Bahamas AI Art

 ⒸA. Derek Catalano

 

 

 Give Peace and Love

The world is heavy with the weight of pain,
Skies thick with smoke, hearts soaked in rain.
Each headline screams, each screen explodes
With anger, loss, and narrow roads.

We walk through days of sharpened tongues,
Of closed-off minds and loaded lungs.
A thousand ways we’ve drawn the line,
As if to hate is by design.

But here we are—awake, aware,
Still breathing in this battered air.
And in this hour, raw and real,
We face the truth we used to seal.

The Importance and Power of Forgiveness

 

"Release with Forgiveness" - Bahamas AI Art

 ©A. Derek Catalano

 

 

The Importance and Power of Forgiveness

Forgiveness is often misunderstood. Many think it means condoning harm, excusing injustice, or forgetting the past. But true forgiveness is none of those things. It’s not about giving others a pass — it’s about freeing yourself. At its core, forgiveness is a decision to stop letting past wrongs control your present and future. It’s one of the most powerful tools we have to reclaim our peace, restore relationships, and reset emotional balance. Without it, people stay trapped in cycles of resentment, bitterness, and pain.

Peace Shark

 

"Peace Shark" - Bahamas AI Art

 ©A. Derek Catalano

 

Visit Native Stew Gallery

Spread the Love

 

"Happy Valentine's Day" - Bahamas AI Art

©A. Derek Catalano

 

 

Spread the Love

In a world of rushing hearts and fleeting days,
Where shadows stretch in silent, weary haze,
Let us pause, reach out, and rise above—
For life's true magic lies in shared love.

A whispered word, a gentle, caring glance,
The kind that offers souls a second chance;
A hand held firm when storms are raging high,
A beacon bright beneath a tear-streaked sky.

Love is not gold, nor jewels bright and rare,
But warmth that lingers softly in the air;
A sacred gift, a bond no wealth can buy,
A hope that blooms where dreams refuse to die.

Peace at Christmas

 

"Peace at Christmas" - Bahamas AI Art

 ©A. Derek Catalano

Download full size: 959x1112

Find Inner Peace

 

 "Inner Peace" - Bahamas AI Art

 ©A. Derek Catalano

 

 

 Find Inner Peace

Within the heart’s vast, silent expanse,
Lies a place where chaos has no chance.
A haven hidden from the world’s demands,
Where calmness flows like soft, shifting sands.

Inner peace, a treasure profound and rare,
Unbound by riches or the clothes we wear.
Not in fame nor fleeting pride,
But in the soul, where truth resides.

A Christmas Plea for Peace

 

"Peace at Christmas" - Bahamas AI Art

©A. Derek Catalano

 

This poem celebrates the beauty and joy of Christmas in the Bahamas while reflecting on the need for peace and unity. It weaves together imagery of the yuletide season with a heartfelt appeal to heal divisions, creating a hopeful and inspiring vision for the future.

 

 
A Christmas Plea for Peace

 

O Bahamas, cradle of turquoise seas,
Where the whispering palms sway in the breeze,
This yuletide season, let us find release,
From discord's chains—let's kindle peace.

The Junkanoo drums beat a call so clear,
Echoing love for all to hear.
Harmony flows in the conch-shell's song,
Binding us close where we belong.

In the streets of Nassau, warm smiles abound,
Laughter and music weave joy around.
From Abaco’s shores to Inagua's sands,
Unity lies in our clasping hands.

We Are All Human

 "We Are All Human" - Bahamas AI art

©A. Derek Catalano

 

 

We Are All Human

We are all human, born of earth and sky,
Beneath the same vast heavens where the stars still lie.
Our hearts beat the rhythm of a universal song,
A melody of life, where we all belong.

In every land, across the mountains and seas,
We breathe the same air, swayed by the same breeze.
The color of our skin, the shape of our face,
Are threads in the tapestry of the human race.

We are all human—our blood flows the same,
Though the world around us might whisper names,
That divide and conquer, that build walls high,
Forgetting the truth: we all live, we all die.

Put Down Your Guns

 

 "The Cycle" - (SOURCE)

 

 

Put Down Your Guns

Put down your guns, oh brothers, my friends,
The cycle of bloodshed, it must reach an end.
In the islands of blue where the sun’s golden light,
Has been swallowed by shadows that steal away night.

From Nassau’s streets to the shores of Freeport,
Cries echo in alleys where lives come up short.
The mothers are weeping, their hearts full of pain,
As bullets like rain drown their hopes once again.

Oh, how did we come to this crossroad of fear?
Where peace is a stranger, and violence draws near.
In a land once so tranquil, where the waves kissed the shore,
Now the gunfire replaces the soft ocean’s roar.

Peace

 

"Peace On The Beach" - Bahamas AI art

 ©A. Derek Catalano

 

 

 "Peace Flower Wreath" - Bahamas AI art

©A. Derek Catalano

The Answer Is Love

 "The Key of Love" - Bahamas AI art

 ©A. Derek Catalano

 

 

The Answer Is Love

Beneath the weight of stars that burn
In skies that shift, in hearts that yearn,
When questions rise, like restless sea,
One truth endures: Love sets us free.

In winds that sweep through winter’s chill,
And mountains towering, cold and still,
In shadows long, where doubts are sown,
Love is the seed where light is grown.

The sun may fall, the moon may hide,
And tides may crash on every side,
But in the storm, when hope is lost,
Love is the compass, though tempest-tossed.