Now, I will share what I have learned and introduce you to those I have met along the way.
One of the most famous Baha'i poets is Robert Hayden. He was born on August 4, 1913, in Detroit, Michigan. Robert's mother gave him to another couple to raise when her marriage broke up just before his birth. Although his given name was Asa Bundy Sheffey, he went by the name given to him by his foster parents. He attended both Wayne State University and the University of Michigan, where he earned a M. A. He became a member of the faculty of Fisk University in 1946 but left for a position at University of Michigan in 1968. He remained there until his death in 1980.
Robert Hayden considered his poetry to be "a form of prayer - a prayer for illumination, perfection." Due to his lack of militancy, he encountered some adverse reactions from some African-Americans, especially during the 1960s. He made it clear that he did not want his work to be part of what he considered a "kind of literary ghetto."
Among his most famous poems are: Those Winter Sundays and Soledad.
Robert Hayden's influence has been great. Here is a link to a photographer Don Camp, who received inspiration from an anthology of poetry, Heart Shapes in the Dust: http://www.mcdonogh.com/programs/html/do...
For a more in-depth biography of Robert Hayden, please visit http://longman.awl.com/kennedy/hayden/bi.... This site also has a critical overview of his work, a bibliography and links to other sites about him.
Another Baha'i poet of note is Roger White. He was born on June 2, 1929, in Toronto. Sadly, there is not much about him on the web that I have been able to find, except for his obituary, which opens with this quote from The Bab: Treasures lie hidden beneath the throne of God; the key to those treasures is the tongue of poets. I believe that his obituary says more about him than I ever could, and, so, urge you to visit it and meet Roger White.
I would, though, like to acquaint you with some of Roger's writing, both prose and poetry. First, from "Bring Chocolate - Advice From A Poet: "Poetry, like all art, has a message for us. It says: care, grow, develop, adapt, overcome, nurture, protect, foster, cherish. It says: your reality is spiritual. It says: achieve your full humanness. It invites us to laugh, reflect, cry, strive, persevere. It says: rejoice! Above all, it says to us: BE! We cannot turn our backs on art. Art heals."
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