John Paul II – The Poet Pope

One of the 40 contributing poets to the anthology was Marion V. Winters (Director/Past President American Council for Polish Culture; Co-Founder/First President Kosciuszko Foundation Chicago Chapter; Past President Polish American Congress Arizona Div.), who together with his wife, Jo Louise, was pursuing a Masters Degree in Polish Literature at that time at the University of Illinois – Chicago. 

Deeply stirred by the all-encompassing love of all humanity displayed by Pope John Paul II and recalling from his university studies a poem by one of Poland’s greatest poets, Juliusz Slowacki, in which he predicted the seating of a Slav upon the Papal throne, Mr. Winters created a poem that was readily accepted for publication in Ms. Kwiatkowski’s anthology:

TO A POLISH SEER*

By Marion V. Winters

Oh great and noble bard!  How uneasy has been

your sleep these many years.

Heavy boots have trodden hard the earth above,

And the din of wars, the bursting bombs have

numbed your ears,

How rarely have you heard the flutter of a dove! 

Have pain and sorrow dulled your memory,

oh beloved seer?

Heed your heart!  Harken to the great bell’s toll.

The footsteps you long awaited, spring softly

o’er your bier;

He arrives at last – the Pope – a fellow Pole!

*JULIUSZ SLOWACKI (1809-1849), great Polish romantic poet, predicted the seating of a Slav upon the Papal throne in one of his poems.