A week ago Sam Hamill sent an open letter — printed below — to a few friends. Word has spread like wildfire from mailbox to mailbox, and to date over 3,600 poets have submitted poems or personal statements to register their opposition to the Bush administration’s headlong plunge toward war in Iraq. In doing so, they have honored a long and rich tradition of thoughtful and moral opposition by poets and other artists to senseless and murderous policies, including those of our own government.

In the face of the near unanimous opposition from U.N. members, despite the disapproval of the vast majority of citizens of the world, in defiance of the advice of its own intelligence agencies, and contrary to both common sense and fundamental notions of morality, the Bush administration seems to be on a rocket sled headed for war.

The next few weeks will likely prove to be critical. Please register your protest and add your name to our numbers by submitting a poem or brief commentary. Be part of our National Day of Poetry Against the Waron February 12.

[Febuary 12th was to have been the day of the now-cancelled “Poetry and the American Voice” symposium at the White House. — FmH]