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“Feuervogel” by Marc Chagall, 1945
“WERELDOORLOG 1917”
“World War 1917”
Dear Friends,
Belgian poet and Section representative Wilbert Lambrechts is one of the eleven Section poets who participated in an All Souls Poetry Night that originated in Dornach, Switzerland on November 2, 2024. This was our first international poetry night.
In keeping with the spirit of occasion, Wilbert read a poem for peace with the English title “World War 1917.” Section leader Christiane Haid joined us for this special event.
No recording was made of the All Souls evening reading, but when I returned to North America I contacted Wilbert and asked if he would record his poem with me for a commemorative video.
On this recording, Wilbert reads his poem in four languages spoken by combatants at the battle of Passchendaele (Ypres) that concluded World War I. Inspired by a suggestion from Wilbert’s daughter, I added music from the classical guitar repertoire.
This collaborative poetic project between Section poets, scholars, and artists is intended as a seed for more collaborative projects and initiatives. For example, the Section Conference planned for May 2025 has this collaborative spirit in mind.
Here is the video of Wilbert’s reading. Click this sentence for a PDF of Wilbert’s poem.
12.10.24