To honour the spirit of the Olympics 2012, 204 poems from around the world, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, have been collected from each of the 204 participating countries by the Scottish Poetry Library.

Here are the first ten from South America and the Carribean. Enjoy!

1. Antigua and Barbuda: Plantain
2. Argentina: Sidewalks of Buenos Aires
3. Bahamas: Mangroves
4. Belize: When a fish…
5. British Virgin Islands: Crescendo
6. Colombia: The House
7. Dominica: In The Woods
8. Dominican Republic: Find Work
9. Ecuador: The Weathercock of the Cathedral at Quito
10. Jamaica: A Song For My Father

The poems selected are often not by the most notable poet a country has produced. Some of them are funny or light-hearted. Often they are snapshots of lives rather than grand narratives. And some of the choices may be controversial. However, they all give a glimpse of lives in countries spanning the globe. Together these poems depict a world united not only by sport, but by emotions that are universal and need no translator other than the heart.

To honour the spirit of the Olympics 2012, 204 poems from around the world, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, have been collected from each of the 204 participating countries by the Scottish Poetry Library. 

Here are the first nine from Australia and Oceania. Enjoy!

1. Australia: The Mitchells
2. Cook Islands: Turakina Street
3. Fiji: Tern
4. Kirbati: Bonefish
5. Micronesia: I follow her
6. Nauru: Rains of Nauru
7. New Zealand: Nowhere
8. Papua New Guinea: Tuna
9. Samoa: Flying-fox

The poems selected are often not by the most notable poet a country has produced. Some of them are funny or light-hearted. Often they are snapshots of lives rather than grand narratives. And some of the choices may be controversial. However, they all give a glimpse of lives in countries spanning the globe. Together these poems depict a world united not only by sport, but by emotions that are universal and need no translator other than the heart.