I have a poem in this new anthology out, Soul of Our Soul: Palestine in Poetry & Prose, which is raising money to aid the children of Palestine. The poetry and prose in this anthology is soulful and grieving.
Sharon Feltman, the editor of the anthology, organized a benefit to raise money for a reputable charity to aid children maimed and disabled by the bombing of Gaza: Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.
At the benefit, local poets recited their poems in the anthology and read for those who had submitted from abroad or were unable to attend the benefit. Palestinian children, dressed in their traditional clothing, read some poems written from the point of view of children in Gaza. Their readings brought tears to my eyes.
Throughout the event, heart-wrenching images of Gaza were featured on a screen behind the readers. I wish I had photos of the event, but I was selling raffle tickets. the venue was packed with people sympathetic to the cause.
Based on the sales of this anthology and other items sold and generous donations, this benefit raised over $3,000 for the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.
My Poem in the Anthology: Soul of Our Soul: Palestine in Poetry & Prose 2025
The Wind Listens
~ a sonnet to the children
My outline isn’t my continent. My skin, an illusion.
The miles between us, a mirage. I sit with the breeze.
Your breath of loss. I grieve in your grief in the shadow
of Spring. I grieve out my story. I am you. Disabled.
Orphaned. The wind carries our sorrows. Makes us one.
Heartbreak holds us, Child. The wind delivers you to me
in the cradles of clouds. Our fates dissipate into stiffened fog.
I am ashamed, Child. A helpless mouse seeking shelter
in the rubble of my complacency. A hungry robin hopping
on sun-starved soil. You plant posies in the blackened earth.
Your kites release prayers into the winds that wind to me.
As I inhale your despair, the daffodils nod their heads, exhale
a new Spring to stream as a rising sun. A gauze on our shared sorrows.
The corporeal stones are deaf. The wind listens.
© Barbara Harris Leonhard
Kindle and Paperback (both are $20.00) All the proceeds will go to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. This link is to the paperback.
Amazon Book Description
Soul of our Soul is not a work of fiction. It is an anthology of work written now, during the horrors of an on-going genocide against innocent civilians in Gaza and the West Bank in occupied Palestine. This anthology contains work written by those struggling amidst daily bombing, intentional starvation, lack of clean water; by those with family members in Gaza and the West Bank; and by those with love and compassion for the people of Palestine. Contributors include writers and poets from across the globe who care, who cannot remain silent, who search for any meaningful way to express their grief and hope, and who want to see an end to suffering and a FREE PALESTINE!
Extraordinary Sunshine Weaver 
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