It was merely a photograph of a small child playing amongst the tangle of man generated rubble. Fragmented concrete, steel, barb wire all savagely seized the earth.  Saddened eyes, dirty hands, torn clothing, all marked the look of hopelessness. From this inspiration, "Little Rafah" was born!

In that photograph of turmoil, my minds eye viewed a little "flower" that was trying to reach up, to ignore all that encompassed her. Certainly not an isolated incident of futility, for a country does not need to be engaged  in eternal military warfare to have it's Little Rafahs emerge! The world is filled with many "Little Rafahs!" One need only look amongst the squalidness, the emotional  hopelessness gripping faraway places such as Mumbai, Nairobi, or closer to home, our own "third world slums," be it in Detroit, Los Angeles, New York.  There are many "Little Rafahs"to be found, reaching out from the steel and wire, all that which holds them down, looking up to the sky for hope!  So much inspiration to be found and not enough time for its birth!

Eric g Peters is "blessed" with seven daughters, six granddaughters and a mixed bag of great grand children. He currently lives in Sanataria Springs, New York, with his wife Darlene and two children. Senior Citizen status allows him the time to write, paint, and work with his copper and steel. He also engages in "primitive" metal work, as seen under "Poppy's Toy" on his website:   www.ericgpeters.com