Solar energy represents a vital opportunity to power India cleanly and efficiently. So, along with acclaimed young poet Shikha Malaviya, and in association with Delhi Poetry Slam, we decided to spread the message about solar in a new way by asking Greenpeace supporters to help create a crowdsourced solar poem.
Throughout history, poetry has been used as a tool for change, and to speak up for what we believe in. We believe that it’s up to us to write our future.
The rules were simple. Shikha got the ball rolling with the first line of the poem, and threw it over to our supporters via social media to suggest the next lines. The direction of the poem was open. We simply asked that contributions related to the Sun in some way - whether directly to solar energy, or to how the Sun had touched people’s lives.
We got a brilliant response, with many many people taking the time to share their hopes, fears and perspectives. It was then back to poet Shikha to craft the final poem using a mixture of supporters’ words and her own.
At the same time, with poetry educator Nicole Sumner, Greenpeace volunteers came together to take part in a workshop on International Volunteer Day called Speak Your Peace in Delhi. Participants learned techniques for communicating impactful social messages using spoken word, with a focus on solar energy.
Participants at the Speak Your Peace workshop in Delhi
Here’s the final poem, we hope you like it!
Touched by the Sun
We begin each day touched by a star
Or do we end each night that way
Warm rays that strengthen from afar
light of which we are all made
Or do we end each night that way
bathed in hope of the rising sun
light of which we are all made
the star that makes us what we are
Bathed in hope of the rising sun
prayers sown in fields of wheat
the star that makes us what we are
dancing over a billion hopes
Prayers sown in fields of wheat
entering slant from the East
dancing over a billion hopes
rousing koel birds from sleep
Entering slant from the East
Sol, Surya, Helios
rousing koel birds from sleep
we pay our gratitudes with a namaskar
Sol, Surya, Helios
life force in every pore
we pay our gratitudes with a namaskar
wrapped in the silk of its heat
Life force in every pore
powering our solar dreams
wrapped in the silk of its heat
no longer captives of the dark
Powering our solar dreams
Warm rays that strengthen from afar
no longer captives of the dark
we begin each day touched by a star
Find out more about how solar power is revolutionising India, and how you can get involved.