By Kathy Ellis and SIETAR USA Poets

We recently tried this community-poem exercise in a poetry group I belong to. It was fun, it brought us closer together, and it was surprisingly moving to hear my own line woven into the whole when the poem was read aloud. So, I thought—why not SIETAR?

Poetry is often misunderstood or undervalued. It can make us anxious: What does it mean? How do I read this aloud? Can I write a poem of my own? But for many, poetry and spoken word resonate deeply. They make great icebreakers, and even a few lines can open a presentation or spark a meaningful discussion.

With that in mind, I titled the community poem and wrote the first two lines to help set a tone and direction for the SIETAR community. Throughout the Poster Session, I invited attendees to add a line or two and to remain nameless for less stress.      Over the course of two days, we gathered 35 lines from more than 10 contributors. 

Once all the lines were in, I shaped and formatted the final poem.

A Community Poem

SIETAR Conference 2025 Facilitated by Kathy Ellis
Inclusive Interculturalism: Purpose, Possibilities, and Progress
By SIETAR Poets

The same stars shine on everyone.
We walk the dust in the same world,
we stand in the rain.
Context is everything.
Three deep nourishing breaths and
relax into expansive areas of inclusion.

Familiar streets, but foreign skies.
Home feels like a borrowed guise.
The love is real, the touch is kind but
I can’t rewind what changed inside.
A silence within that keeps all that’s in me 
What a world this would be.
If you could see all we can give 
Listen, listen to the silence in me.
What do you hear?
What would you like to ask?
I hear sounds of generations before and after me,
familiar and foreign music.

My heart to your heart,
this is what it’s all about.
With purpose, possibilities, progress,
let us be!
Birds of different feathers, flocking together.
Lean in con juicy delicious ambiguity, sonrisas y preguntas.
It’s all about human connections.
Building together.
Challenge white supremacy.
Culture is everything and,
everyone, let’s come together
 in hope, love and peace.

You be you,
unzipping the rawness.
The truth in tears.
Adapt but stay authentic and
true to your values.