Hope

Victor Hugo once said, “be like the bird who, pausing in her flight while on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing she has wings”. This perfectly encapsulates what it means to have hope, and shows how hope is so closely tied to courage. Moments of crisis, when we're most at risk of  losing hope, are exactly when we need hope the most - fueling the courage to use our capacities to act. Hope is, of course a state of mind, but it can also be based in action. We can see that the example of youth in Italy, who in this time of crisis have adapted and improvised to uplift their communities. The poetry selected observes hope in the natural cycles we find the world around us. The darkest moments of winter promise the coming of spring and moments of world encompassing crisis bring promises of peace.