"Here at home and throughout the world people are fighting back against the forces of wealth, privilege, and militarism — some because they have no choice, others because they would choose no other course but the one that leads to peace and justice."  — Michael Parenti

To record an alternative to the din of collective madness — with this motivating thought, a few San Francisco writers gathered more than 800 poems and selected the work of almost 100 poets. The unifying theme: responses to 9/11 that go beyond the monotone clamor of nationalism and retribution and deepen the dialogue.

The anthology, An Eye for an Eye Makes the Whole World Blind: Poets on 9/11, is due out this month from Regents Press in Oakland, California. Edited by poets Allen Cohen and Clive Matson with a foreword by progressive author Michael Parenti, it includes poems by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Robert Pinsky (former U.S. poet laureate), Michael McClure, Nellie Wong, Diane DiPrima, Devorah Major, Robert Creeley and Daniel Berrigan. It also includes "Salem Hill Hymn Sing," a poem by Mike Schneider, co-arts editor of The New People.

Schneider, a widely published poet who lives in Edgewood, offered these thoughts about the anthology and his poem:

The anthology title — An Eye for an Eye Makes the Whole World Blind — is a poem in itself. It captures a fundamental idea that gets buried in the orgy of flag waving, and which is at the heart of what we mean when we talk about civilization versus tribalism - the idea of a reasoned, deliberative process of justice as an alternative to vengeance. If there’s a lesson from 9/11, it’s to observe how these old rites of blood vendetta — on all sides — are still part of us, covered over with a thin layer of civilized life.

As a nation, our response to 9/11 has been to anoint ourselves vigilante judge and executioner, with our leaders stirring the mob into a chant — strike back, kill the bastards. Should we be proud that the biggest difference between us and our enemies is the crushing power of our war technology, rather than the quality of our rhetoric?

Few things are as evil as the word "evil" as we hear it in public statements by our president — a rhetorical branding iron to divide peoples and justify violence. To cast away reflection, to think narrowly and literally, to justify intolerance in ancient scripture — this is fundamentalism. It’s as much of a problem within the boundaries of this country, maybe more, as in the Middle East. That’s where my poem comes from. I hope it speaks to you.
     — Mike Schneider