The Street

By Tia Ballantine

THE STREET. Poems, 64pp. A collection of forty poems, THE STREET is Ballantine's fifth book of poems, written while living in West Oakland during tumultuous times that included the months of Occupy Oakland. During those slender years, Oakland experienced great violence. These poems were written sometimes in response to that violence but also as an attempt to find a way through and around the turmoil by discovering small moments of tenderness and beauty. One of our great challenges facing our society is how to remain positive and hopeful, kind and loving, in a world increasingly focused on war and violence. We know such violence is rooted in poverty and that poverty is created (and supported) by prejudice and lack of opportunity. We also know that angry conflict is quite incapable of scrubbing away all the tenderness, all the beauty, of human life and love. Life is short, but we can live lovingly. Do no harm. Practice random acts of Kindness. Occupy Your Mind: Think Responsibly. Be generous. Make art.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0692509437
• ISBN13: 9780692509432
• Release Date: September 2015
• Publisher: Lelepono Press
• Length: 64 Pages
• Weight: 0.29 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.2" x 6.0"