I was so happy to see over 700 follows on the my quote and lyrics fb page this weekend and more than 2600 followers on my twitter. I love to connect with fellow bloggers on both platforms and often retweet my fav posts on twitter, you can also find a lot of my new poetry there! Hope to see more of you join me in those platforms and thank you for your continued support here…Below are my facebook and twitter links:
I was so happy to see that forgottenmeadows has reached over 2540 readers! I am so grateful for your encouragement! I know there are times when I don’t have time to engage as much as I would like to; however, please know that I appreciate YOU!
Thank you also to my facebook and twitter supporters! You can reach me there via the links provided:
When I started this blog two years ago, I did know where this would go…My first blog post On Goodbyes and See you laters will always be very special to me … My grandfather, who is 97 now, is not doing so great at the moment and I appreciate all of you who have been praying and sending your kind thoughts for him. It means a lot! Thank you for being there with me through this beautiful journey!
This collaboration is initiated by my talented friend Michael (M. Zane McClellan) from the poetry channel and will be hosted here on forgottenmeadows. Many wonderful bloggers like Marie (https://writingwingsforyou.com/), Kim (https://zipsrid.wordpress.com/) and others have helped in putting this together and spreading the word out. The deadline for contribution is August 31st, 2016! I urge you to help us make this creative effort successful by joining in.Below is Michael’s message:
“In response to the recent unceasing, and, in fact escalating global violence, we have seen and felt a corresponding surge in poetry about it.
We would like to take this opportunity to invite you to share your thoughts and feelings, a piece of yourself, to add to other Poets from around the world. We are hopeful that the combined weight of our collective spirit and wisdom will be felt worldwide as well.
The only restriction is that absolutely no hate is expressed other than the hate of violence. Any and all words will be appended to the running poem. This is not about ego, so you retain the rights to your creation, we are only interested in doing what we can to stop the violence.
Please share your poetry and your platform to spread the word for Poets everywhere to unite in this effort we are calling, “Poets for Peace.”
Google +1 it, Tweet & share it on Facebook, wherever you are able. Hashtag #PoetsForPeace
We will combine all contributions and welcome suggestions for what to do with the resulting collaborative Poem…”The Poem Heard ‘Round the World” something that would make Gandhi, the Dalai Lama, and Martin Luther King Jr. sigh.”
Michael has helped us get started with his piece below. Please join us by placing your contribution in the comments section or by spreading the word through reblog or social media #PoetsForPeace. I will add all contributions, in the order they come in different colours and list the contributor in the same colour at the end of the piece. To see an example of a past collaboration click here. Hope to see you all join in and help share this wonderful initiative by Michael.
I want to live in a world without mushroom clouds, drive-by shootings, and tear-gassed crowds. Without ethnic cleansing, or military coups, Blacks versus Whites, warring Arabs and Jews. Give me a world without nuclear missiles where there are no rapes, or indifferent dismissals. With Protectors and Leaders who do as they are charged, seeking justice, and safety, for the world at large. I dream, for everyone, a planet without walls. Healing hands to hold when one of us falls. Where education is the answer, rather than a cage with bars, and we value all life more than flatscreens and cars. Give me a world of one spirit, if not of one people, and faith not confined to stained glass and steeple. A world without hatred, apathy, and fear, a place where kindness is valued, air is fresh, and water clear. Give me a world, in this time, in this space, a world of love, forgiveness, and grace. If you can’t give me all that give me one thing at least, If you can’t give me all that, give me Peace.
the battlefield listens hearing only the heartbeats beneath the barrages of bullets and bombs death drawn to the sounds paints its terrible targets indifferent to why soldiers take up their arms caring nothing for politics wholly unmoved by the arguments for and against right and wrong once the war is engaged no opinion or cause deters death from its duty to silence the heartbeats of numberless bodies when possible whole generations no matter the uniform unlived potential or state of the soul
and yet even with truce the battlefield never indulges in sleep death just picks up its stakes and moves to new ground a new killing field willing and able to serve death’s dominion receive its allotment of blood so long as at least two hearts beat in this world death will foment for war for the ultimate quiet that follows extinction unless human hearts find the mettle and means to confront death’s agenda with no less than death’s own tenacity fully committed to killing the killer in order to bask in the peace
What happened to lessons learned
From Vietnam? From Wars Slogans-
What have we gained? Shipping Our
Youth again… marching down a jet’s belly,
Or sending them crammed somewhere
Across the sea to a destination abroad.
Why awaken the scary Balrog with
His breath of fire and his whips of flame?
Another war machine hungry to conquer,
Thirsty for blood, creating havoc, howling
With guns- seeking power, seeking fame.
Heavy smoke and grey clouds are spreading
Through the land. Fear mongers yelling and
Shouting crying wolf, when will we learn to
Hear the lies? Security, prosperity, sovereignty
Are the products of peace not war. When will we
Understand? Some their children followed the pipers-
To green fields with rows upon rows of white graves.
How many more beloved sons and daughters must we
Pay with their lives? When will we ever figure out the game?
Echos are heard now from the valleys, from the rolling
Green hills, from dwellers rushing rising with
The sun, on the highways to earn their living-
The echo of their song: Let us live in peace, live and let live , they’re singing,
We can hear the lies, no more wars, no more death.
They are singing: Let the sunshine in. Let the sunshine in.
There is a time for war, and peace you don’t get to gut me like a fish I have to for myself in war against vulnerabilities within my bowels, opened before hate I have to lie with atrocities and anger and smell this cruelty, ripen from deeper cuts No, this is no time for peace I must bleed out my iniquities let my own blood – stain the platform with sorrow’s knife as ingested apathies spill. My mouth must be pierced and lifted from these murky waters where the world is only a passing stranger then, when you approach me hungry I can give you the peace left in my dwelling and say-
here, this is my empathy, this is my love my kindness, my forgiveness, my hope for you, this is me asking forgiveness
before the whole world one person, at a time starting with the ones I despise or thought unworthy of my gutting~
So much innocent blood spilled, random acts of pointless violence,
We remember the fallen, mourning their lives in sorrow, in silence,
Naive, I thought humanity’s ties were built to last,
I was wrong, unity and peace now seem so far in the past,
Is this the final nail in the coffin, hopes death knell,
Has the world torn apart, broken, gone to Hell,
I have but one question to ask my friend,
Will this nightmare never end?
Peace show your face in this pitiful montage we have created…
i
Slowness drips, replaying tragedies time and again. Blood dribbles and over time, dripped, dry crimson scabs – are picked at in anger. Free flow from a heavy, metal heart – and anxiety – to be kind, blasts away endless possibilities sending limbs and souls to the pavements or sidewalks, when bullets or bombs marked as extras interrupt our lives in many busy market places – and on many busy roads as we go about our everyday.
ii
The fluidity in our veins pumps out to merge with unhealed scars from old scalding baths of achromatic rivers long since congealed – solidified relentless oppression and persecution – trapping us all in wounds – lest we be excited by healing – all amidst anxiety – to be kind. Whether the bombs are for wayward gods; to be kind, for it seldom ever is, or bullets in self defence or out of fear, or blind panic – to be kind, or meant to wound us with venomous hatred and extremist ruby rhetoric, or perhaps just because we can – then perhaps we should just stop! Blood is red, bland world, real blood that flows inside of reality and inside of our veins – not ichor, we are none of us Gods – and therein lies the rub. May the God of War send us peace.
iii
Restlessness is a dangerous beast to tether – it roams our streets and avenues; cast adrift despite the heavy set concrete – pounding unrest tells us, ‘beware one and all’. Plots of disaster are hatched in crimes against each other, and we fall on humanity’s shrinking ears; we are more harmed than ever forewarned. Raging torrents swell – all made of words – flagrant misuse arms those forces hitherto asleep with precision injured excuses, and they become driven, and we allow it.
iv
Make sleep all ghosts and quell their voice. Insatiable voyages allow no rejoice; war after wars are fought and lesions bared after healing – no one is repaired. So sleep and be still, set free all prisoners. Let the calm before the storm be the calm of future ghosts. Make calm the past and present wherein lay all hosts. Fight for freedoms, won under carmine sun, not bloodshed – my own heart’s war, which is war made merciful, beats when it is wakened… Let Peace pour mercilessly instead, and bring Equality for all.
Let earnest will beat away our sorrows. Fitfully still not with fitful dread, And we will beat today’s ghosts driven by tomorrow and not be beaten by them instead.
What the world is now Is not the world we mommmas Dreamed of while rocking Our babies and cradling souls
We clutch our children tightly to our chests and weep For this world of fear and hatred And disrespect for fellow man Our tears falling like torrential rains.
What the world needs now Is love, peace and kindness Radiating from OUR FAMILIES FIRST To sisterhoods and brotherhoods
Forming compassionate communities HOLDING SPACE FOR PEACE.
that sound
waves merging then parting like
the subtle breath of strangers brought together
in a cold room to share warmth
no pattern here
one meets another’s shadow and
a lessening occurs in the transfer
this is peace: loss, gain, compromise, talk, exchange
so simple as in one wave
curling to meet another
I’m sick of the sight of the sight of bloodshed and tears, Where social media serves only to perpetuate fears. Where hate makes more noise than love or peace, Death echoing in Turkey, in Iran, Belgium, and Nice.
I dream of a day when our news stations fall silent, When we glorify great thinkers instead of the violent. No. There’s not much money in peace, happiness, or rest. Convenient then that our leaders say the fight for ‘freedom’ is best.
Ask, where’s the freedom in oppression and hate? In walls, and assault rifles, and climbing mortality rates? We’re jaded, and anxious, and we’re afraid of our future. Please. No more armies. No more ‘collateral damage’. No more sutures.
They say a poet is just a dreamer yet I dream for better days of peace and love where the flags fly high not set half=way down, the daily reminder of someone, something lost yet again, never too much to ask of this world now swirling with hate with mistrust and endless debate between them and us but are we all not searching for the very same thing, a better day of laughter and joy and the only tears felt are not from the red rain that keeps falling down on this world. They say a poet is just a dreamer yet I believe that we can create change with words of healing, understanding and faith that tomorrow will be a place where children can walk without fear, where every soul can be free of terror and war and where a hand held out in peace cements the trust given and as we wrap our arms around each other every race and creed will believe in the dream of humanities, of love.
Everyday it would play
on her mind it would prey
Images of hate and murder
on her heart a boulder
The world was bleeding
everywhere fear was breeding
going to the airport filled her with dread
on streets she carefully tread
In the name of religion,killings
to hate them all she was willing
Her children to school would go
unrest in her heart would grow
for monsters lurked in shadows
bitter insane ,worlds greatest foes
ready to destroy and ravage
hearts black and savage
Making the world unstable
and innocent lives unpredictable
A light in her heart shone
to hate she was not prone
Hug her children tightly
take her life a little lightly
Thank God for all the blessings
more cheering less stressing!
And pass on to the world some love
a helping hand ,of kindness a treasure trove
And never stop giving
Till her life she was living
For it was easy to hate in the sadness
But would take some love to rise above the madness!
I am sick of it. Pissed! FURIOUS of Gushing blood Wailing, tears and devastation They knew, the ones who protect the state Did no better They knew Who the monsters were Today Nice Before Dhaka,Brussels, Paris, Turkey, India and other distraught places. What are the governments across world doing. What is the security and intelligence service doing?! Press conference for “solidarity” by various foreign dignitaries What use is that If NOTHING IS BEING DONE! Why not take action , join allies and abolish the monsters that kill the innocence and the innocent, and spread fear and grief world over. Why wait for procedures and political escape All chatter when all we need is action, peace and time to heal From the wounds that would never be forgotten. Souls lost too soon, What should we civilians do. Other than “be STRONG” Or put up with it. The news goes on next three days, new headline, a career made. The tweets, change in pictures, digital display of compassion What good is that Stoking our egos for a moment in time, deluding ourselves into feign “support” When all of us are just helpless And no place seems safe. I won’t put up tweets, change the display pictures, all that is such a waste. Aren’t you sick, there are too many of them? Forget compassion, support, we need to get angry We need our respective goverments to stop with useless speeches and make a plan A solid one So we won’t be bombarded with any more of such horrific, heart breaking news again.
How To Get Over:
we are muddy, bodies drained of energy, our earthy presence, foreign. there’s so much more life than the dismantling of lives over injustices & boundless men.
it is an act of BAD habit, a surrounding of devilish behavior. peace is in the thickness of every beating heart. it’s time to tap at it– time to unleash the release.
this is how we’ll get over.
Lord Our love for peace short-circuits in our blood and a bitter remorse reverse-charge takes toll. We have lost faith in independence which to us used to be the sole trader of peace and tranquillity. We have lost hope for tomorrow where we used to begin a new life. We are confused and don’t know what to do. Humanity is in replete.
Gentle as the Lambs Own Love
Loyal as the Lion’s Heart
Quiet Peace Pervades the Open Heart
That Allows its Gentle Loyalty
and Mighty Compassion
To Abide.
Grow as a lustrous ivy throughout life. Beset your challenges like weeds do a field. Sow the world with your exclusive beauty. Let every passing day find you freer.
We are amnesiacs who lost the plot, Fumbling toward ourselves, brimming with strife. Take notice: You are a spark of nature. Bravely carve your way through stone like water
Eternity is flawless, man’s faults rife; Cowardice is human, courage divine. Blessed is the peaceful warrior in life, Who journeys through the wildwood of psyche.
Our goal is to leave this dark world of strife And take our true place in something greater
LET LOVE OUTRUN HATE
Whilst a world mourns and shakes its enraged fists, children hover in corners weeping for fathers and mothers lost. Family days and nights permanently altered by societal rage as decades of hate spews forth in fire bursts of deadly expression.
Finally, grief-stricken and hate weary men and women embrace with the shared tenderness of the ultimate separation: death.
Death. A terrible thing to have in common.
May love and increase and outrun hate with the ferocity of a mother lion and the gentleness of a lamb.
Everywhere good people getting together, in the face of evil
In the face of war. Behold, I see the white dove
Spreading out her wings, searching for that
Green olive branch to land-weary and sad.
People are holding up their hands
Together, everybody chanting, all of them saying:
No more hate, no more discrimination.
Our Earth is aching and bleeding
Pleading for her children-Calling for
Peace. Peace. Peace for all.
BUT IT WAS JUST A DREAM
Today I dreamt – of a beautiful world, with no fear or fight. Today I dreamt – of a just world order, with no wrong but only right.
Today I dreamt – of people so happy, that they made merry always. Today I dreamt – of the earth so green, and of warm, soothing days.
Today I dreamt – about a place so rich, that it felt to me like heaven. Today I dreamt – of the Lord almighty, with newborn babies – seven.
Today I dreamt – and in my dreams I saw, an angel holding my hand. Today I dreamt – of a place without money, and no more poor in this land.
Today I dreamt – about all the lovely things, that humans can only imagine. Today I dreamt – not about money or power, but about my kith and kin.
Today I dreamt – of all the abstracts, that make us happy from within. Today I dreamt – also of evil people, and how they commit a sin.
Today I dreamt – and I kept on dreaming, until I finally found out. Today I dreamt – that the world was fair, but only outside the bout.
Today I dreamt – until I woke up, to someone’s shrill scream. Today I dreamt – and finally realized, that it was just a dream.
Cool and calm, You point a gun, Aim at the crowd, … and fire.
You take our lives – Lives of people You don’t know, Lives you don’t value.
You believe You are better. You believe We are less.
Our crime In your eyes Is to be different From you.
We are all different.
I am different. If you had seen me, Would you have shot me? Under the cover of hatred,
Under the cover of night, You would have.
I am not scared of you. I won’t live my life in fear.
You don’t matter.
The ones you killed do. The ones who survived do.
We matter.
In the end, Our beloved souls are remembered, Celebrated, because of who we were – Greatly missed.
You shot us. Whether you did it In someone’s name Or your own,
It does not matter.
You cancelled yourself out.
In the end We are the ones who remember, Cherish, and Love – Not you. We do it without you.
Because of you, You are all alone, Facing the nonsense Of your distorted soul.
Shot in turn.
Your lone heart stopped beating – dead.
Our departed live on in our hearts – imprinted on our souls.
There is no us and them, We’re all in this together Stop pointing fingers.
Our children they cry. No more tearing each other down, It’s time to change now.
No more excuses, we can’t hold on to the past, It’s time to own up
We see what’s outside But we can still change our ways Learn to look inside.
See what’s at the heart, we’re all brothers and sisters Each one is a part.
Dogs
The wild dogs run, Through the prairies – And sanctums of my mind. Finding refuge, building dens, In this sepulchre, Where I thought I’d laid – Many things to rest. These dogs dig up old bones, That I thought I’d buried deep – Bringing them to the surface, As if they are some – Forgotten Treasure. And when placed together, They build the frame, Of the man I am today. Today I run with the wild dogs, At peace – In the fiery prairies of my mind.
Love, like hate, is a decision we make. Surely you would not choose death, but life? Christ laid down His life so we could live!Choose life, choose love, choose Him!
WALKING INTO TOMORROW
Mama I know you are sad…
Cleanse me in cool waters, and not in ripples of blood Swaddle me with love and understanding, don’t drape me under a tattered cloth, piled up for the dead
T’morrow all the birds will sing, flying through the billow of clouds.
Talk to me about magnificent hawks and majestic eagles don’t fill my young eyes with swarming vultures pulling flesh from the fallen dead.
T’morrow bucks will charge the does wildly through the brush.
Smile at me with joy, when the sun is shining down. Coo at me with laughter in your voice, delight in your heart and not from a written letter found in your belongings.
T’morrow the sun will shine, and bees will dance in bountiful fields of flowers.
Mama, I know you are sad, but remember too that tomorrow will be better, guns and bullets will disappear with deafening, destructive bombs, they will vanish too.
T’morrow, infinite rolling hills will sway, an illusion of thick and lush greenery.
There will be no more intolerance. No more Black or White, Red or Brown, or shades of Grey.
Mama, press me against your heart, and we will walk together into a new and peaceful world …one step at a time.
I felt a bomb explode I shook like a leaf in a storm, what was it for? and will there be more? Scared for myself and for my neighbour who will save her? Who is the enemy when we all live as humans, why the divisions? Do I have to put my warface on and pick a side? I want to ignore the chaos and run and hide hoping to stay alive. Desolation of war half crumbled buildings missing all doors this is the truth that comes with these wars. I have an idea which to me at least seems quite clear, lets all live without any fear, of each other for it makes no sense at all for humanity to fall. Lets live in peace and come to conclusions that we want solutions for ending all wars get brilliant minds to help us achieve cos all we really want is to be allowed to breathe/
Time stepped back into valleys of green lush and in love with the wisdom of eons peaceful unfurling banners of heart streamers in rainbow colors tasting the way it feels to know the hands we hold, the hands of colors and races and beliefs all settled into a womb of blended warmth
We are love stepped in to bring forth light parting the teeth of jagged snares, no your cold stares blank and baited will not stop love with conditions set by control hole up your anger or hate of peaceful glow abide in the side parting of waters flow- – love through veins, and hands and eyes alive we’re breaking that point where one heart stops- -one breath stops- -the bloodletting must stop, forgetting differences to spite the differences- -be gone evil we revoke thee. We, the settled in time’s time of no more sorrow, but valleys of green will bring love to gouge out the ways of hate toward ALL the peoples side by side
Stop the destruction of peoples and find unconditional love waiting in the lighted cargo of souls- -apart from your frozen form, see behind every eye- -colors of rainbows we are love unconditional, unending, pure lighted, a gift- -THE gift, love from above to share, to spread to hold and gift to all the peoples among all the tribes throughout the world- –
Heed our peaceful banner of love unfurled- -Love will be eternity.
I saw him pull the trigger, And knew that was my brother I watched him fall, And knew that was my son. Thrown to the ground, I felt her, my daughter I heard the frightened plea And knew that was my mom. It’s so easy to say, “Oh, that’s too bad… Good thing it’s far away.” The problem? It’s right here. It’s you, it’s me… Where bullets spray Terror in the streets Mourning to the soul song At the wake and the parade We think that what happens It isn’t me… it must fade But all that happens, It happens to me. All that happens, I promise you’ll know. Soft whispers of morning That prey on your heart, And won’t let you go. So I wear white for peace As I hold to another. Rally to that truth That holds us altogether You saw him pull the trigger, And knew that was your brother. You watched him fall, And knew… it was your son.
It takes only a moment, to be kind
When human hearts, seek to find
The warmth of a smile, a cheerful face
Love and happiness, without a trace
Of hopelessness or mere despair
We, as one, must show we care
By lending hands to those who need
And stopping those who intercede
As brothers and sisters, together we stand
And Peace must reign o’er the land
Blood On Their Hands Blood was on their hands, Smelling raw and sticky Stained the darkest red. – Voices whispering pleas, Beat against deaf eardrums But getting no attention. – Never feeling the last breathe As it escaped so many, Caught up in their tragedies. – Ignoring over time past, When the perspective On killing had changed. – Those thoughtless acts, Resulting in a life lost, Upsetting the natural order. – Indulged in war strategies, And games, and crimes, Camoflaged and justified. – Drones dropping bombs Across borders into lives Counted in the casualties. – Acts of violence on strangers, Turns likewise to neighbours Whose lives do not matter. – Sewing seeds abroad, To inevitable reap at home A disregard for existance. – And for most individuals, They only feel the graveness When death darkens their doorway. – They, having done nothing Until tragedy hits their household, Are equally guilty in effect. – Blood was on their hands, Clasped in prayer for peace Only when violence touched their lives.
Evil is heartless Love is kind. Evil kills Love heals. Evil divides Love unites. Evil tears us down Love builds us up.
Evil is evil Love is love.
History has shown that Tragedies ensue When evil fears love, Attempting to conquer it.
But love is powerful Patient and kind. The human spirit Shines its light in darkness, Bringing us together, Giving us hope That love will always win In the end.
Shalom! Salaam! I come in peace, brother I’m one of you, I’m not the other Forget what’s happened, it’s all in the past Let’s build something together, something to last What’s done is done, let it be forgotten We’ve all got to live under the same sun
Not Christian, not Hindu, neither Muslim, nor Jew You’re just like me and I, like you Not black not white, Sunni nor Shiite Let’s sit around and talk, don’t have to fight Not rich, not poor; who cares how much you own When all you’ll eventually need is a coffin and tombstone
Not victor, not vanquished; friend, not foe Why look back, simply let it all go Forget political affiliation, poverty, privilege No stereotypes, prejudice or bigotry; don’t judge Race, gender, ethnicity or nationality Creed, caste, class or sexuality
Let’s end this vengeful cycle of strife Bring Lennon’s utopia into life Don’t let’s propagate any more hate Let’s try and understand, accommodate Bury forever whatever our difference And forge anew with mutual confidence
Seek an answer, question if you must But do take my hand, in each other let’s trust Remember the message which we’ve all read In case you’ve forgotten, this is what it said: Humanity, fraternity, diversity Unity, solidarity, one global family
So let’s all of us; you and me; we Take peace forward till eternity Aum, shanti, shanti, shanti*…
When Words Fail
In the graveyard of sin Peace lies buried again After dying a million deaths With its comrades Hope, joy, and harmony The fiend of hatred Roams around naked Feeding on the last fragment Of another body burnt to dust A bewildered soul hovers Eyes awash with fading tears
Have you forsaken me? The Earth wails to the sky Sadly the clouds sweep away Even the endless rain Cannot wash away the stain Of the blood of innocents From an ochre land of depravity The graveyard of humanity My Earth is now parched Throttled with rust and dust What elixir will quench its thirst?
The contagion of hatred Flows in their veins unabated The rulers and the slaves And their blistering madness Hardened hearts, spreading fear Reigning with violent terror Pieces of white, pale as death On a chessboard set, King against king Men fleeting, floating, drowning Somewhere a child washed ashore A broken doll with owner no more
Listless hearts pound In time with the funeral band Outside the burning walls A wail rips the skies Lost in the screaming headlines Of carnage, pillage, blinding pellets Mowed down, blasted, bombed Desperate, despondent, helpless Humanity breathes its last Alone in a hospital bed
Merchants of doom Selling salves for the gloom Twines that held together Ripped, shredded, asunder Pick up the strands Weave them into a shroud Questions galore resound In the hospital corridor Will he live? Is he dead yet Maybe injured; None answer Eyes then wander To the writing on wall – Silence Please!
And so we remain silent Words lost in defiance For how do we answer? The innocence of our children Asking why we gave them life In this world of bloody strife Whom to blame for the misery Maybe the dictionary For it hosts synonyms many For the word Faith And one of them Sadly spells as disharmony
How to disperse this gloom How to change what words mean Maybe a collective “No” To this culture of violence Can give us another chance To drink to Peace From the same chalice
Yesterday when I was young I knew less I wanted more
Then as I grew in the world around I wanted less ’cause I knew more
Yesterday I believed I could solve it
Today I know that I cannot
For I myself am part of the mystery I wanted to solve
Your short lived life, child, was already inked. Long dried on to pages of history books, where diplomats in neat cut suits – took smart decisions for land, for money, and for you.
Your years on this much talked of planet The only one with life they say – were already penned when powerful men chose brainless butchering again. Laws and rules and faith and belief, clouded their judgement of grief.
You had no say ; You had no guns ; no nuclear weapons, no shield against explosions. Gods and laws and rules and belief, just sounds trying to creep into your vocabulary.
Burnt up forests, shattered walls, Battered buildings and broken roads. They wrote down every heartbeat of yours, as they fought over these blooded bodes.
You were too naive, child, a mere puppet whose strings lie in hands of men, with neatly cut suits, and camouflaged boots, who’re simply trying to protect their Laws and rules and faith and belief, and lands more precious than you.
You had your time, child, Your next will probably be better – far, far away from where logic bows down to savages.
A Poem For The Present
I wake up every mourning in a world packed to the rafters with His & Her handguns, heart hammering and snapping like a thousand thumbs, fingernails exciting the iron edges of tribal drums,
green tea won’t work, even booze makes me nervous– twitching at the slightest sound, muttering ’bout the tanking Pound, studying the cracks in the concrete on a path to safer ground.
I still got hope, staring at the glowing banners of Ads; they show me beauty everywhere, the sun shining, people smiling without a care, almost as if this place exists where you can’t taste the violence in the air.
A Living Corpse
What is this place; Where cowardice, guilt, panic, regret, Dance around merrily, mockingly And in crimes he abet
An essence of darkness Difficult to erase Maniacally cackling, Awaiting his disgrace
A broken grin, eerie Those bloodshot, watery eyes Preparing graves of innocent victims That deserves nothing but despise
A living corpse branded By Islamic State terrorist outfits Comfortable amongst this circus of an illusion There isn’t any sin he didn’t commit
There used to be a faint echo, Sometime moments of blissful peace Solemn intricate, deathly silence From infant’s play and man’s caprice
The mess he’s made of his life A million screams, a million curses A tortured soul, miserably crying Severed. Shattered. Burning like a furnace.
Sirens. Media. Paramedics. A convoluted laugh escapes from pursed lips What is this place? Cold…yet clear A miscalculation ushering in a apocalypse
Walls and Fences
Isolate; segregate, Seal; close,
Some people build fences To keep people out… While other people build fences To keep people in, Each wanting to hold on to all that he can.
Guarding; protecting; Or maybe preventing control; access or escape.
Some use wood or wire, Some railings or concrete, Some people use attitude or prefer silence, All the while seeking forgiveness and peace.
Racism; Fanaticism; are Barriers separating us from friends and families.
Looking through the cracks, We see only the branches, Step aside a little, the trees are beautiful too, Radiating from the heartfelt warmth within.
Times are changing, No time to play dead.
Bring down those fences, take down those walls, And walk wherever you choose, Stroll on through; Fenceless. It’s a good way to begin again.
Fear and hope are like two wings of a bird
Today I woke up afraid, hope struggling to be born on this very brink, for my sons,
for my city, for my unborn grandchildren (who may choose to never come forth, so unpleasant
are we), indeed for my world — for all that is prized, hard fought won conceded
cherished revised overturned allowed to decay corrected preserved.
It is all in my hands, right here, opening in its fullness, unready, burgeoning forth
an infant sure to walk steady someday, but falling, tripping, needing guard rails, baby-proofing
and not knowing it. I offer my small helping of kindness to this disquieting child,
encourage his fear, give him reason to hope, so that wisdom can take root, dampen his exuberance.
You want me to believe that this World is a terrible place to exist in, You want me to be afraid to take a step Outside the comfort of the bricks and Stones that together form my home, but You also want me to count each breath I take inside the warmth of these walls that I am surrounded by, because these bricks and Stones are not much for you to turn into Mere rubble in a matter of seconds – Seconds fewer than those I would need to Begin to comprehend the damage in front of me, And you want me to want everyone I love huddled Around me, because if they’re not, they could be the Devastating story that I wake up to next day, But then again, so could I, no matter where I am, And you want me to want to pray every second of Every day to the god I do not believe in, to every god, In fact, even the ones I have not even heard of, In hopes that perhaps that’s what the world needs, Some help from a being much more saner than us, So that those that stand right in front of you can Somehow disappear from this world altogether, To a place where you don’t exist, But I don’t believe in any god, or in any being Who could save those that I’m afraid for, those that I don’t even know, and yet I pray, I pray for those I know and those I don’t, I pray even as I sit numb from terror, I pray, I pray, I pray, and I will continue to pray If that’s the only thing that I can do, Because even while scared witless, I refuse to believe That this world is a terrible place to live in.
Peace is strewn about in pieces
Unification is the abstract thesis
Where is the place that each conscience polices
What components returned after mindful pheresis?
The jigsaw is all edges, no center
Half-hearted attempts from return to sender
Official lip service from each power’s contender
Borrowing lines from history’s lender
On which justification does each act depend?
Rationalization piles on with no seeming end
Sooner or later will break bow low to bend?
Will ideological nemesis find footing as friend?
Last resort always seems to ascend the list
Violence and honor clinch in their ancient tryst
Pillow talk lies among bedfellows twist
How to make their passion cease and desist?
Mortality beckons nimbly for those without power
Their lives and their dreams devalued by the hour
Sweet fruits for the future have little chance to flower
Due to distant decisions from some ivory tower
Contemplate the babies who have no choice but to trust
Unaware of the spreading disease of unequal, unjust
Will they become minuses because we are nonplussed?
Will we put it all together before they become dust?
The quiet prayers of a poet’s heart… sometimes lost in the hurt and chaos the world feels… the prayer for love the prayer for hope the prayer for peace the prayer that the beautiful strokes of nature that surround us will help us embrace the colors and look beyond the physical differences the prayer to do good, to be kind, the prayer that the one smile will touch the mind, of the least fortunate the prayer that you and I can come together like this and say all we want is peace, peace, just peace.
Evil Falls…
Evil falls Like a flaming bolt From an ignorant darkness Searing all around it, Uncaring, unhearing, Untouched by love or reason; Twists goodness into hate, Burns fear into our lives Until we are ugly Charred remnants, Forests without leaves For breathing, Trees without branches For shelter, Earth scorched Beyond bearing; Until we wonder What can survive. But the phoenix Rises from the fire Rich in beauty; Seeds come to life Under scorched earth; And the human spirit Reaches from the ruins For all that is good And just And right, Because only so Can we reclaim A world worth loving.
“Peace”
What can one write about peace?
There is a piece in me that wants to write about peace, but, I don’t know how.
Maybe ‘cease’ it is all about peace. But maybe, again, I am wrong.
Shall we ever rest in peace? And what about the police?
There is indeed crime, and rates increase! And how shall I explain that to my niece?
What is peace?
All through the ages The sighing of mankind Has stirred the ageless longing That speaks behind your eyes They couldn’t hear in Carthage Nor can we on riot lines make out The sound of broken hearts over drum beats out of time. But deep inside our souls We are writing a kinder rhyme One that sings of love And hope and peace for troubled minds It’s almost here. I feel it coming Coming right on time.
“Exit”
When blood Is a river
Drowning itself; Rage a wave
Self-harming in The violent crest of
It’s aims, You & I Forge solace in the
Dove’s alto on An oak branch,
The dance of Resurrected blossoms,
Brick parishes whispering Vespers & intonations.
Together we dwell in & Out of time
A present exist, so to speak, From reverberating blasts
On breaking news abroad & Popping clips & sirens nearby
Our space exists, collected In ourselves
In the union of Our souls
Where we hold close, At least for now,
In the growing pains of Our times.
We have engaged in war before, before the war beyond the shore. And we have shed our blood, and more. More blood I have not seen before. We often wonder what it’s for. For truths abhorred behind closed doors. Not sure it matters anymore, any more than the wars before. The Fates decree, the fickle whores, Whores sans amore, caveat emptor, who lives and dies, who thrives. What for? More war? My God, more war
Colorblind
If we could tear color from our sight, would we see more clearly? Would it correct the wrongs? Relieve us of our prejudices? Pullovers would be based upon speed or suspicion, neighborhoods undivided, capabilities met, our vision shades of gray. We’d stroke our slate skin, bleed gunmetal gray, breathe feathered smoke, live inside concrete, wander gardens made of ash. No more cardinals or bluejays. Rainbows could be drawn in pencil and the shavings could be used to scathe our eyes should a rose dare to bloom a dewy red. Or an azalea leaked magenta, leaving us speechless, carving holes of longing in us we didn’t know we had, before the punctured canvas repaired — our memories erased of a beauty we were unfit to bestow. Back to our smokestack camps, lined in hazy sandstone and soiled snow to view only shades that blind and bind.
Where would the filaments of green and the breathe of blue go? To Oz, where roads stay carved in golden bricks, next to fields of red poppies leading to an emerald city, while we remain in the tornado of black and white?
Would poets no longer bleed pale moonlight and shades of day? Or dream in color, exhaling violet laughter in crimson corners, until we regain our humanity, until we appreciate the glory of our differences, place judgment upon our character and actions, understanding we bleed one color, one, and that in itself is enough to remain truly colorblind.
When will we be worthy of living in color? I ask. In 2016.
If each And every One of us Just refused To hate, Together We’d transform The world Into a Better place. One where love And tolerance Closely interlaced, In countering Our baser side, The stronger case Would Make.
Star of Peace
See that star? There? Through the branches that move and sway.
It is peace, never really out of reach, always shining.
But this tree is the discord that would obscure that star, keep us from making it our own.
Our hatred and violence are the wind that would fan that tree.
There will always be discord, so we must remove the hatred and violence, address it with discourse.
We must still the wind to keep that star in sight, and peace will, in turn, be ours.
Silence of Arms
Inseparable. The people of the world. Yet, each day Every man, woman, and child Struggles mentally. To be seen. To be known. Some with tears. Others with weapons. They look to follow Or, to lead. Peace does not need Leaders Or, followers. Peace is not to be used. It must be absorbed. Recognized As part of a whole. It takes a smile. A handshake. Honesty. Absence of greed. Modesty. A kiss. We should reflect upon ourselves Each day. When we free ourselves From imposing hate. Self-governance Will prevail. Coats and patrols. Capitols and their quells. Disappear. We are all here together. If we are truly alone in the universe Should it not be the happiest place?
Some say it is a fragrant lily Opened in the morning sun. Some think it grows in heather fields Where yearling mule deer run. I asked the politicians If its measures might increase, But they just sent more troops to war. O what do we know about peace?
Does it taste like dates and honey, Or like sausages on sticks? Can you pay for it with money, Or build it a house with bricks? Does it make us feel protected, Like a blanket made of fleece? Must its pockets be inspected? O what do we know about peace?
Whenever people disagree, They claim they’re striving for it. When sipping from a cup of tea, Most folks will just ignore it; The great philosophers have said We’ll know it when we see it, And surely as our blood is red, We ought to fight to free it.
Does it soar like an osprey on steroids, Or light up the night like the moon? Could we grab it by flexing our deltoids, Or float to it on a pontoon? Does it live all alone on an island, Or blow where it will on the breeze? Would it last for a week without broadband? O what do we know about peace?
I scoured beneath the kitchen sink, And checked the freezer, too; I tried to find the missing link By emptying my shoe. I followed all the pirates’ maps That pointed to their loot, But everywhere X marked the spot, Its chest was destitute.
Will it come for a visit on Tuesday, As I’m getting out of the bath? Will I see it drive by on the freeway, Or picking up stones in my path? Does it come with a license to carry? Can it truly cause terror to cease? Is a lack of it hereditary? O what do we know about peace?
When our children are witness to bloodshed, And murder’s a matter of course, Should we strap on a nuclear warhead, Or say: ^mais nous avons des fleurs^*? Although hate multiplies like a cancer, ^et partout, le méchant existe^**, Can’t we bolster a child with an answer? O what do we know about peace?
*but we have flowers **and everywhere, the bad guy exists
#PoetsforPeace
I write peace Because that’s what I want ..✨ I weave happiness Because that’s How I want to see the world I fight darkness As I want to feel Alive I hear it all Innocents being killed Children’s cry I spill tears I hold my heart I write a prayer I try To find Peace lost forever I am I will be Forever Poet for peace
I look into their little faces bright, innocent, sweet they know nothing of what has happened and I wonder What is this world we will leave them? I think of the ones taken so suddenly with no warning, no reason, And I am afraid to see pictures of them, a collage of the ones who are gone, their faces so vibrant moments before and then suddenly…terror and after that…nothing. But they live on in my heart even if I cannot see pictures of their faces and I look at my own precious ones hoping and praying as mothers do that such a thing would never happen to them. I wonder What is this world we will leave them? The sun will rise tomorrow. I will hope and pray again. And I will look on their faces with love and gratitude, relief that they are with me and I can hold them close. And I will keep wondering about this world we will leave them.
A call to Peace
All Adorable creatures of God ,
Calling all to unite for one cause, Against those who hate what we like . Let’s love one another atleast for a day, Let this day extend till the end of time.
Together let’s stand holding our hands with love , Ought not with lust but with brotherly and sisterly love.
Protect not yourself but the others . Envying leads to nothingness, Amicably let’s be one forever, Caring for the needy and the oppressed, Enlightenment will truly be showered.
mind or skin
if my skin was not black will the hatred end if my skin was not white will the hatred end am i colorless – as mixed-race you are colored – as a mixed-race can i be invisible right now you are invisible and invisible is not colorless invisible is you see color less let us talk colorless yea let us talk colorless you mean have less color no i mean have no color we can be white – white is the absence of color or we can be black – black is the absence of light you cannot say black means no light we just might take it as black means no bright but i meant you see no white or black yea but no light is black so we stay black and white what about we live black and white skin mind why not skin why not mind can we stay colorless – mind and skin yea we can live colorless – do not mind my skin
clouds
in the 23rd century will we live in neighbourhoods in the air clustered around structures huge and bulbous like a frozen mushroom cloud
and will we populate in tribes and drift in loose affiliation orchestrated across the vast and barren sky or
will the nations drift as décor and dissipate as culture as the wind gets up and reveals glimpses of blue sky behind
will the trees stand rooted shuffling and shrugging to provide perspective and direction of green silhouette
and will the tiny clusters of red berry just fall or cling to the branch-squalls for later in life?
in the 23rd century will we forget our distant history far and bluish on the horizon with hints of cream edgings to suggest event
while distinct-coloured burgundies and greys and blacks and even blues once made their one-tracked progress passing on to somewhere?
in the 23rd century will we look at the grasses and thistles all across each other under the great and wide and ever-present breeze and remember fondly the meeting halls where we talked
will the old monuments that talk silent of root and branch long and broad across the lands have lost their leaves by now and wave to the sky, their windows see-through and open?
in the 23rd century will we live in all the words we wrote and sent to the skies and remember only the ridges and valleys of the slow-turning earth and
will our discourse be shared to saturation and have no need of reach or distance or hopeful-expression but drift along always in magnificent cluster?
in the 23rd century will we wonder lonely – in our silence – if light has sound and dark has colour if far has breath and close has taste
and will we listen to the dappled pebble and graze the newgreen grassandbracken and feel that we have done this all before but cannot quite remember when we gaze upwards to where the gods must live?
Calling Poets for Peace
Words are scarce to describe this turmoil, When thousand innocents bleed, Our hearts are torn down, When the little ones weep, Our eyes bleed tears.
Words are scarce to describe this turmoil, When the world cries for help, Our knees tremble with fear, When the children lie lifeless, Our humanity is questioned for its ruthlessness.
Words are scarce to describe this turmoil, When the souls depart, Our hearts seek peace, When the world searches for peace, Our world calls all poets for peace…
War Cry Of Birds
Her trill lilts through trees,
across the poppy fields,
above the highest mountains
and through the deep valley.
It spills from towers
into the dreams of seekers
bruised from battle.
Unwavering crusaders
soothing the displaced,
the homeless children sleeping
in the streets.
Her bones are set with courage,
eyes deep wells of wisdom.
She sings for you and me
a song of dignity.
#PoetsForPeace
Why do they crush innocent lives?
Foster violence and glorify knives,
Killing people in HIS name,
HE who loves everyone the same,
Splitting up hearts with borders and regions,
Dissecting names to dye them with religions,
Millions live in fear, dying an inch every day,
Carrying the burden of lives they lost on the way,
Why do they want Jesus, Muhammad and Shiva to compete?
They only end up humiliating the gods with their deceit,
Often we forget the WHOs and WHATs that we have lost,
Not knowing exactly how much this violence would cost,
Peace can only be a distant dream,
Until we step up to the occasion like a team,
Let’s pray those poor souls may rest in peace,
Let happiness prevail and violence may cease,
Violence may cease…
Endgame.
Come, feel my wrath. Rile against my might. I am what you should fear. I am the thorn in your side. Stop your busy war warmongering And your butchery. The blood letting and slaughter. The taking of the innocent, And the meek. Fear me now.
Say my name; Love. Your eternal nemesis. Perpetually destroying your legacy. Eating away your petty victories. Where you go, there I will be. A constant resistance. And one day you will have no power. You will be mocked, laughed about. A cruel joke from the past. Never to be repeated.
Born into this world Only my flesh screams My spirit sleeps
Unaware of anything Only my flesh is weak My spirit stirs
At the mercy of others Only my flesh is frail My spirit awakens
The sun is rising Only my flesh is burned My spirit warmed
Over the horizon Only my flesh is tired My spirit presses
Into the long day Only my flesh is screaming No! My spirit ignores
It’s getting late Only my flesh is sleeping My spirit yearns
The sun is setting Only my flesh is gone My spirit soars
All we are is one. All we know is in us. All we are is from heaven All we knew was forgotten. All will be revealed once more.
Haiku – Shouting for Peace
Voices like the wind
Mighty, strong, and powerful
Calling out for change
Where Does Peace Begin?
“You are beautiful!” “Your smile is the sun!” “You are enough!” “Be happy!” “Someone is thinking about you!” “You are loved.”
Bits of love and hope inked on bright strips of paper float lazily down among the pregnant crowds in the streets. Watching from the rooftop where I stand throwing my colorful slips like confetti, joy blossoms in my breast
and my little happy birds glide on an invisible breeze down to the thickening crowd come to protest the latest righteous atrocities. Words have power and so I keep tossing mine into the air letting the wind scatter them to those that need them.
The papers cartwheel and play in the sun as I watch and wait for fingers to reach up and grab them but the people’s voices are drowned out as one by one the guns begin their pop-pop-poping and women scream and children cry
and men run away or to their deaths… and my little bits of love are shredded by bullets and left to lie in blood-spattered hands.
#PoetsForPeace
We are strung together from– the same line hand in hand, linked like a chain, holding steady to our roots. Challenge the wrong doings Not with fire. Put down those weapons, listen to one another. Rise together for a brighter tomorrow. Look to our roots for aid, they will guide us in a time of grief. Hold steady, hand in hand together we are strung.
Conversations with God
We pray for peace While arming ourselves… We pray for mercy While denying succor to the desperate… We pray for healing While shuttering access to care… We pray for understanding While building walls to exclude… We pray for abundance While hoarding stockpiles of plenty… We pray for freedom While expecting that others follow our demands… We pray for unity While excluding and setting ourselves apart… We pray for forgiveness While judging the lives of others… We pray for love While spewing hate in word and deed… We pray for pure hearts While our own hearts grow cold… We pray trusting that God is listening but… are we?
A Prayer for Humanity
Earth bleeds crimson droplets, blotting boundaries, revealing our fragility and utter dependency on mercy’s tender grace…
May we embrace the common cord that binds our hearts in one accord where Love prevails victorious and hatred has no place.
No More…
The increasing number of terrorist-driven tragedies has broken my heart. I do pray for the victims, their families…for our world that is becoming increasingly violent. And I also pray that my own heart will never become cold to the horror of such senseless violence. I pray for peace ultimately. I shall never cease to pray for peace…
News of yet another sorrow Breaks my heart, already bleeding Hope for peace, to death conceding Left to fear the next tomorrow.
Hate infuses to the marrow Hardened hearts that cease believing News of yet another sorrow Breaks my heart, already bleeding.
Horror lurches from the shadows Evil lies in wait deceiving Pawns emboldened do their bidding Brazened hearts who blindly follow News of yet another sorrow Breaks my heart, already bleeding.
Pixels and Prayers (Because of how it is)
IMG_2805 Just separate desperate little dots Are we? Can we think ourselves Into atoms? Can we see between Is there space To breath If we sink Deep within Will we disappear Or understand More fully The tiny tessallations That join to make us whole?
Somewhere
Somewhere over the rainbow Storm clouds rise False words urge us to hatred Tangling us in their lies
Somewhere over the rainbow Missiles fly Crashing down in destruction How many more must die?
Each day we wish upon a star We hope and dream and pray for peace to find us For hate and war to fade away For lives lived fuller every day For something we trust
Somewhere over the rainbow voices cry Pleading peace and compassion, One and all – can’t we try?
We’ll see lives left serene; our world rescued We’ll find harmony together; our bonds renewed And we’ll think to ourselves What a wonderful world
I hear voices for peace Raised to unite Like me, they Want to conquer this fight And I think to myself We’re a wonderful world
Somewhere Over the rainbow …there’s a wonderful world❤
Words that need to be expressed as the world seeks for peace.
Over thousands of years, too many innocent lives have been fleeced.
It’s time to demand for peace to reign throughout the earth from sun up to sun down.
Recklessness must not continue to abound, so it’s time to put the guns down.
The purpose for the #PoetsForPeace collaboration
Is to think of alternative solutions instead of seeking to grab the four.
Ethnic groups and political factions fighting against each other have caused so much bloodshed.
Instead of harping on differences, let’s focus on the similarity that when anyone bleeds, their blood is red.
Why do we continue to cry out for peace when there is no peace?
We must continue to remain optimistic until we see all wars eventually cease
Hero
I cannot honor lies. I cannot breathe praises of death. I cannot take limbs like those sold to children. I am mother. You are plastic in words. We birth babies. They are flesh, tears, needs, innocent hearts. We have limbs. We have children. You are empty of mind. You say hero. You say God. You paint the world in red and leave the sun behind. Behind this high wall, untouchable enemy, mysterious evil, who created your answer, molded your hero, demonized the child. Life is life. Mother is mother. Limbs lost and again you scream hero— Hero, Hero, Hero. You say the Earth. You say you own breath. You say mine is yours. I breathed life into this land, civilized presence, gave trees to the sky. We own life. The invisible enemy. The flashing hero, painted in red, dripping color into hollow ground.
Please, Put the Gun Down
I know you’ve been hurt. It stings and tugs at your heart every day. But why inflict pain you don’t want to feel? Why did you let hate consume you? All that comes from hate is death.
The death of you comes first as soon as you decide to hate. Your spirit becomes contaminated and your soul, dark and heavy, no longer able to support the life you were graciously bestowed.
But the spread of death can end with you. Forgive and peace will enter your heart and you don’t have to endure the darkness and pain you have been dealing with for so long.
You’ll no longer be dead inside. You don’t have to relive those heartbreaking memories. Make new and brighter memories and leave the past behind.
I know you have dreams of changing this world so no one will have to go through the same trials you’ve traversed through. This can be changed without violence. A gentle word can do far more than a gun.
A kind word can change a scathed heart, clear a mind clouded with fear and thoughts that cause it to ache. A gun just ends a precious, priceless life and strikes fear into others’.
The world wasn’t created to be a place filled with terror and strife. We are to build each other up, help one another live our lives to the fullest by making each other’s beautiful dreams come true.
Please, quiet those abhorrent thoughts and put the gun down.
Blood of innocents
Once known as safer place now slowly turning into cemetery, Where blood of innocents is spilled everyday and nobody knows the reason, why? Peace in the world now stands shackled coz of demons disguised as humans. Hiding behind religion, they create havoc seeking for unknown vengeance they go on killing all. Millions of families, suffering from their wrath and many more yet to suffer, Will their cruelty ever stop ? Their hands stained with blood and soul cursed, will they ever realize what have they done ?
Sometimes the sky is not blue, but white, A backlit theater screen in waiting, Bright— Or so I can pretend; Writer, actor, director of scenes, The production is my own—I am all, No in between. But,
Life is not a movie, It’s the news on TV, ugly— Much worse than our screens display it to be. Murder, xenophobia, police brutality,
Moral corruption. Missiles on a mission— Horrific precision… Let’s make the decision—
Stand up together and shout out for Peace! Because
Sometimes the sky is not white, but red, A reflection of bombings, of children Dead— And I cannot pretend Human blood split is colored corn syrup.
Come peace, blossom overnight like a moonflower, glowing reflect the streaming light through gentle winds blowing.
Come peace, bury your roots deeply and send your branches high make of them a sanctuary, steeply angled green and brown, reaching to the sky.
Come peace, and war be gone, vanish as winter snow melts and disappears running to the sea, then banish the anger, the sorrow, the hatred, the tears.
Come peace like a flowing river changes course pretend it is not strange to turn aside from destined paths, to value life instead of force, we will not know until we’ve tried.
Reflections on U.S. independence Day, at the End of the World
Fireworks burst above our heads on an almost perfect summer night, like radiant fingers of gold twinkling, outstretched – and I try to see – how far they reach, and how far they last – till the next blast.
A deafening burst of color explodes a night of shopping in the holy month. Rapturous melody falls flat – in the music hall, the final notes out of beat to the sudden pop-pop—–poppoppop. Millions of children sleep on the streets, having fled the terror we fear. They dream of food, and war, and funerals and war, and almost forgotten faces of friends, and war, and flags. Flags that only matter, if you have a home. Dancers kiss, and love, sweat and sway to the rhythm, The rhythm that reminds them of family. The ones they call in a bathroom stall, barely breathing, “I don’t want to die today. Te amo Mommy.” School kids are shielded from lone, and lonely killers by the bodies of their teachers. Protecting them in their last moments at least – from the vacant stare of self-hate. A family drops to their knees and crawls. The youngest still pulling her tiny Disney Princess suitcase that holds all her favorite things, hides under the jetway spattered with blood. Somewhere – a world away, a grandmother waits for a phone call.
But tonight, it’s Independence Day! It’s different, right?
A mother traces the scars of shrapnel on the growing leg of her son, and secretly shudders at the clamor of her neighbors’ celebration. A citizen only 5 years, yet she understands more than many of us born here, our history – and the hope – of let freedom ring.
But who needs THIS kind of freedom? A father drives to the convenience store seeking sparklers and s’mores. “Daddy more, more!” His children beg, staying up late to wait for the best man they ever knew. Who dared to drive in the wrong neighborhood, at the wrong time, with the wrong body, in the wrong skin, with the wrong tone, “Officer I just want to get home.”
A young woman lies bloody beside a dumpster, a date becomes predation. Pain explodes between her thighs, as she comes to. She hears the distant clapping of the crowd, and the cheers, or is it shaming, and stares, or whispers, and blaming, and secrets, and expectations, and double standards, and rape and violence, and rape and terror. Smoke floats over, she glimpses the stars, and somehow, remembers to wish.
They say freedom isn’t free, but I say it isn’t fair either. Aging vets, who missed the parades sleep out on the street, because no one cares of the despair they’ve seen, on the other side – of exploding things. And their aching heads are racked with fireworks tonight, the sounds of bombs, and the flashes of light.
Colors! We all see in colors – the spectrum of diversity of all beings. The skin, and eyes, and hair of people – just people – all looking up, faces alight tonight with only planned pyrotechnics, and maybe, just maybe, the hope of freedom, or just a night off with family, or beers with friends, or even a fucking picnic! Or how about just a day- to celebrate our DNA! The way we were ALL made, sharing 99.9% of it- no matter where you were born, or where your family was from, or how much hate you hold in your heart, about where everyone else is from, we share it! No matter how much ignorance you stuff into your puffed up claims of “make America great again.” We share it! No matter how alone you are with only the voices in your head giving you the time of day. We share it! No matter how many citizens of our shredding democracy you turn away from the polls. We share it! No matter how blind you are to the terror occurring everyday, with people of color, being executed for driving, or walking, or working, or breathing, or playing, or running, or living. We share it! No matter how many weapons you need to stockpile, to protect what is yours. We share it! No matter how much you win at gambling, or how many trinkets you buy, turning a blind eye, to the people who actually do have rights to this land of the free! We share it! No matter how many parents of legal citizens you round up, and send back. We share it! No matter how much fear you have of absolutely everything, that’s different than you. We share it! No matter how much God bless America, religious fervor you cling to, to justify abuse. We share it! No matter how much nationalism, or is it nihilism, you scream. Forgetting that some time in our 240 years someone wanted to build a wall, to keep your kind out to! You don’t belong here anymore than the rest of us! If all the creatures of the world took a vote today- we’d be off! The true pests of a planet, as we rape and pillage, scour and cook and poison the earth that seems made, just for us! And the billions of other creatures that were here first! That we so gallantly forget, or just annihilate – in our quests for freedom,
that doesn’t look like freedom to those left hiding in the dark, or to the little child in the backseat, who witnesses murder by the people she is supposed to trust. Or sound like freedom to those survivors, deafened by the blast. Or taste like freedom to the hungry waiting for their mother to get home from that market. Or smell like freedom to the first-responders, and emergency room staff, or to refugees, in camps without sanitation. Or feel like freedom to those of us who know – that love is ALL! It isn’t us versus them – it’s only US! Fast-outgrowing the space and resources of a spinning ball of fire and rock that every human who has ever lived has called home! It’s only US, that can find a way – to capitalize on our magnificent DNA! Only collectively can we be free, and we must learn to see -quickly. Or there will be nothing left to celebrate.
Prayer For Peace. Wish to see the world In joy n merry making Chanting hymns of peace Singing carols of happiness Together We Stand Breaking the barriers of Hatred Praising the Beliefs of All. Drop the guns Spill out the venom Thriving inside Clasp hands Form a chain of peace Laugh out Loud Spat the chaos burning inside. Hey Brother The day You extend hand of peace All the chaos n conflicts Will wipe out from the devil mind And You will feel feather light. Gaze at The greens & the colorful blooms Spirit of peace Will arise n linger In your soul And Your body will feel fresh n crystal clear. It’s time to wrap up hatred And Bring in peace To tame the minds Which are in unrest And Thus Peace prevails Which is absent Since Many years. Wish to see Break of a Dawn Promising peace n harmony Everywhere Crumbling & burning The hatred n fear Cracking a sparkling Smile On faces of all And Minds be clear Ties of Faith on Each other Glues Us Together.
Why so much hate?
Why so much sorrow?
Why can’t we create
For our children
Better tomorrows?
Why division
Instead of unity?
Why suspicion
Instead of charity?
What makes us so different
We wish others’ misery?
What makes one’s way of life
Better than someone else’s?
Why can’t we live in peace?
I wonder, when will we learn
our neighbour not to judge, and cease
To fight? Let us speak up in turn
Against violence, near and far
And let us celebrate life
And do our best to heal the scars
Left by hate, anger and strife
May we all join together
Vow to spread more humanity
Let’s make the world better
And work tirelessly
Not towards changing our neighbour
But aim to change ourselves, humbly
And over and over
Relentlessly
Learn to love each other
Unconditionally.
Peace drops with the dew, Ripples in the blackbird’s throat, Curls with the vixen and her cubs, Sucks its thumb with the sleeping child. Peace falls with the first rays and the last, The moonlight and the sunlight, And it threads among the stars, Into the secret dark of space. But not here, buzz the black flies of war, In these shiny, polished rooms, Where men is suits or long black robes With stones for hearts and blinkered eyes And money in vaults and protected lives Plot and plan with long, cold fingers To steal the song from the blackbird’s throat, The peace from the vixen’s joyful cubs, And fill the limpid dreams of the sleeping child With the bloody sludge Of nightmares.
Now I see the clouds And the rain it predicts As the forecast depicts A storm is coming And its heading our way Its been 100 years since our last encounter And you seem to be standing on your feet Crippled, Maimed Halfburnt to death Friendless, No family Not even a single dime to whine But you seem stable My name is violence I’ve come again for the remaining leg You shall never walk again I see a loophole As with contempt You view thy neighbour at the corner of the eye Subconsciously stripping his title The colour regime has infected you And in your dreams as you wake up and sleep You can’t wait to lift that machete To throw that stone To stampede over millions innocent live During the 100 year war you promised You promised… That you wouldn’t do it again That you would respect life
That the generation coming up Would grow up That you’d think before you act That your every action would peace impact Justice I’m knocking at your door It’s wise if you let me in I thought that this world knew democracy But today all I see is hypocrisy Where corruption has contaminated everything Where injustice has now flooded your just system
This world is ours None of you will ever admit that together your stronger than Me
this morning i woke up feeling helpless
this afternoon i found a nestling actually helpless
this evening i went to bed feeling hopeful
find your nestling find your beauty find your hope be the hope
What is True?
Sometimes, when I hear another story about the atrocities committed due to disagreements about what is true I wonder if I am simply dreaming. How can this be? How could you look at someone and say If you don’t think the way I do then I will kill you ??? Most people I know know that truth is variable; it changes according to who is thinking about it. And variability is good! It’s interesting! It’s a fertile place for discussion, for creativity, for innovation, for synthesizing many ideas into an incredible solution to the problems facing us today. And…If we were all the same, wouldn’t life be boring? Will we one day understand that we can sit together and love one another and help one another and respect one another even if we don’t agree on what is true?
Broken World
Our hearts are breaking Our globe is in disarray Hate and greed prevails
Our hearts are breaking Our world’s being torn apart With our bare hands
Our hearts are breaking As bullets rip through bodies Of known and unknown
Our hearts are breaking Another girl-child raped By known or unknown
Our hearts are breaking Yet we make each other bleed Day by day by day
Our hearts are breaking There can be no healing them Until we find peace
John’s Refrain
We could imagine A world without rape or tears A world so at peace
We may imagine A world without greed or strife A world that’s at peace
We should imagine A world without guns and bombs A world so at peace
We might imagine A world without fear or lies A world that’s at peace
Dare we imagine A world without religion To gain our world’s peace?
Perhaps it is true that we only change worlds. Often as simple as just changing a few words. Words that are impeccable; written after thinking. That is what a poet can do, for those who actively seek and pursue a greater peace.
One can see poetry in nature, the visit of the heron – This morning at the creek reminding me to live in the gift of the present; while I enjoy my solitude there are times that an individual needs to be part of a team to seek and pursue a greater peace.
There is life. Life that is precious, sacred and blessed. It is only a few that take to imposing their impossible dreams of fruitless domination of all that lives to mask their own insecurities because they have failed to learn how to seek and pursue a greater peace
Critical Mass
One of my students said I am an atheist.
I don’t believe in God,
but I have always believed
in the goodness of humanity.
But now, after what has happened recently,
I’m having trouble believing
in humanity. And I could really hear him. I could see the sadness, the doubt, the heartbreak. I believe in critical mass,. I said. I believe that if enough of us
think good things and do good things,
there will be a wave of goodness
that will shift this world to a better place. And, there are so many good people out there. Yes, a few can harm a great many, but a few can also help a great many. Let us focus on the good. Let us eat, sleep, breathe and dance goodness. Let us be a part of the critical mass shifting the world to a better place.
Poetry Heard ‘Round the World
I wish I could tell you that everything changed We all know the world is the same Walk in the light while we hide in the shadows Yet all of us stand in the blame
The children, the teachers, the lovers, the blue The innocence bled through the vein The bombs, the bullets, in the silence of lambs While all of us stand in the rain
So what does it take to bring peace to the world In our streets, our cafés, our hearts Our children still carried from school to the grave While bureaucrats tear us apart
Our drones with their missiles, our jets with their bombs The order to kill upon sight Our high powered rifles can slaughter the crowd Yet innocence dies in the night
Peace is not found leaving blood on the roses And killing just magnifies hate We all stand in prayer when they march into hell While governments open the gate
So what does it take to bring peace to the Earth While all common sense comes unfurled Perhaps it’s the sharing of love with another In poetry heard ’round the world
Who better to bear the baton
Than us, the peace-makers,
Champions of the ink-slinging
And masters of penmanship.
Who better,
To make the world aware of its decline
Than us, rather me
An individual who’s always
Deep in internal conflict
Seeking endless betterment of the self.
Is it wrong of me
To say i’m sick of the pointless killings?
So they can’t prove their point
Through verbal means;
Does that equate a gun
As the best alternative?
Weakness doesn’t begin to describe
The flaw in that rationale;
As an advocate for light i’m ashamed
To call myself human.
Surely, you realize
Our enemy lies elsewhere
Yet all we do
Is kill each other before
We face the real threat that lies
In the darkest recesses of the abyss.
I’m not arrogant,
But i’m not entirely humble either;
To topple the enemy that
Threatens the very existence
Of the human race turning a blind eye
Is leagues away from the solution .
I refuse to wait before the weak-willed
Who deem themselves powerful
Push to establish their power motives
At the expense of human lives
While I wait for a change of heart.
No, to hell with that,
I will channel all I have ,
Ink and all, to the center
Of their consciousness through
A plethora of penned lines
Exorcising the demons that reign
Over their hearts.
On April 20th, 1999, This Poem Might Have Been Called Here’s What We Know
They started flying years ago: numbers like bullets. How many dead, how many waiting in the execution chamber— the library? the planet?—Val? Cassie?
When we talk, we keep our teeth together— Steve? Shots continues after cops make a ring— as if we’re talking about the weather. Any discussion? About repeating,
not healing. Daniel, Corey, Dave, Daniel. Pipe bombs planted through the city—shots— not healing: Isaiah, Matthew, Rachel— my heart turns to smoke, my mind is a clot.
Gun control – media – parenting woes. Victims—they started flying years ago.
Let us find hope
in the words of peace
in the words of love
in the words of each other
crafted consciously from the heart
to rise above the grey cloud
that pierces us in ways beyond our control
let us control what we choose to spread
to share in this beautiful world
Let humanity bind us together in peace
I need more time
For quiet,
For peace,
For nothing,
Without interruption
For hours on end
To find myself,
My soul,
My essence,
My joy.
The world has gone crazy
And I don’t know how to
Make it better.
What can I say, do, that
will
make the difference. The Pen and the Sword – hasn’t
it
become clichéd. I don’t even know, does anyone?, what will
be
(not) the end of it all.
Barbaric, this day, this age’s inability to discuss political difference.
How can it still be
okay?
to terrorise a world’s people into submission.
HARMONIC CONVERGENCE
Let there be peace inside
My personal universe
Heart and Brain hosting an
Alignment of symbolic planets
Spinning inside the
Dark space that always struggles
To bring the light of truth
Then let it spread to others
Singular experiences
Singing into the aethers
Let there be peace inside
Let there be peace outside
Let there be peace…
Transcending Duality
When life feels lighter than a feather
We actually want to spend time together
Through untold and most unwelcome madness
A small light penetrates perplexing vastness
Radiates, patiently, an auspicious reality
We are slowly transcending duality
Let each soul take its destined flight
Soar to the highest of heights – make it all right
In the deepest chambers of our bleeding heart
We know, no one person should feel apart
Hear the whispers disseminate down from up above
A gentle reminder that love is love.
Peace starts with me
Peace be with you. To greet another. Instead of ‘Hello’. Peace be with you.
Fear handicaps peace. Fear of another religion. Fear of another race. Let us overcome fear.
Peace starts with me. A heart must have kindness. Anger cannot rule. Each day a work in progress.
It is easy to start a war. Lash out without thinking. Let anger take control. Stop this. Learn from mistakes.
Let not anger fester. Instead let kindness in. Do acts of kindness. Think kind thoughts always.
Peace be with you. Can I start this today? What will your answer be? Peace be with you. I hope.
Dusk nears As tears Fall Blackness covers A broken world
Stars shine Even though Still Hope hovers A broken world
Sunrise promises New mercies Joyful Hearts recover A broken world
Light takes Over all Evil Love delivers A broken world
Nameless faces, flashed on the t.v War’s overseas and in the streets Endless debates on who’s right or wrong The earth feels cursed, and it hurts I hold my pen tighter, write my rhymes with a floundering faith, each line a silent prayer I’m too young to feel this tired inside my soul Hoping to see a change, in this lifetime.
SEA TO SHINING SEE
Crocodile tears
for those you hate
its three cheers
for progress
but more locks
on more gates
the hour is late
too tired
from running
around
and around
and around
lost the race
we’re drowning
in those tears
it was you
instilling fear
through the years
today you wave
a rainbow flag
but again
tomorrow
you’ll be yelling
fag
after using tragedy
to kill more
ragheads
we can see
through your lies
we can see
through your hate
yes, the hour
is late
but we won’t
give up
remember the date
and smash
the cup
theres no need
for a chalice
tear down
the gate
and burn down
the palace
then we’ll all
chace rabbits
and hangout
with Alice
and through
our cheshire grin
you will know
that loves not a sin
and sin is man made
and used to control
heaven on earth
should be
the only goal
and I’m not talking
streets that are
paved with gold
I’m talking
about peace
for the young
and the old
and peace
of mind
and pleanty
of bread
and no profits
leading to
collateral dead
no guns
no bombs
no tanks
and no drones
and no children
in sweatshops
making cell phones
no politicians paid
to legislate hate
no, this does not
have to be
our fate
hate
begets hate
but love
begets love
lets start
the next chapter
let’s all rise above
Peace and war are very far Yet they entwine at par At one pace there can’t be both Leave war adopt peace take oath To make the world serene and humanity roar.
There is peace in trees
Under a tree, Pine needles wafting scented air.
Soft branches, touching both sky and you.
Connecting you to tree to Thee.
Where will it all end, when will the insanity stop. So many lives lost again – innocent children now angels in heaven. If compassion has left this world – then it best stop spinning, for love and laughter are the two things – that in this world we cannot do without. Prayers to God above, bring back to this world love. Help mend the broken hearts and let rainbows fill the skies again
“Soul Medley” I sang a song for you today the exact words I can’t recall The tune was sad and off kilter, and the emotion was chilling and raw As I went to hit the high note I choked back the tears that would fall So I decided to wish it with a whisper… Happy birthday, my brother, my all
As I looked into your eyes so blue, you said that “it’s okay”.. “And I’ll see you soon, sooner than you know” and you said, “remember the way”… You pointed to the sky and flew up high, until sadly, you were out of sight
But your words stay with me, through the dawn, through the dusk Through the day, through the darkness, through the night
So I’ll sing, and sing, and sing your song, with all my strength and might High and strong and soft and long As the darkness gives way to the light.
In memory of Joey Blanton-Harris, love your sister, Carol Borrelli
This is something I wrote called ‘Brotherhood of Man’ Why is there so much hate in the world When all we want is peace? So many innocent lives taken We need to make it cease There are never any winners When so much blood is shed Just sorrow and devastation As each side mourns their dead So many children dying Before they have had chance to live Bitterness, rage, and anger No-one can forgive I wish we could stop all this And agree some sort of plan To share this world we live in and create a brotherhood of man.
Beneath muddied army uniforms
Masked faces Split, poisoned blood
Being made to choose between heaven and hell
Collateral damage took on a meaning
And bone-thin children, glassy-eyed Shot through with the pain of generations Peer at us from flickering screens
Somewhere along the way we inevitably forgot to ask ourselves, Are we not all made of the same
Bones,
Flesh,
With blood running through us?
Can I define peace for you? Peace is the state Where everyone has compassion- no hate Where every word said is honest and true Where our next door neighbors is not sharing the same thought then you But you will accept him and he will accept you too . Oh “Imagen” how John Lennon said How it would be to live in peace We wouldn’t even need police!! But please remember imagination just happens in your head So let us not sing “Imagen” like John Lennon Nor saying “I have a dream” like Martin Luther King . No! Let us act like them Let us change the world Let us live in peace and happiness-let`s overcome Let`s love each other regardless all our sins That will give us peace Here and all over the seven seas . Never think to small of yourself Never think I can`t Because I can say you YOU CAN!! It`s just how much you WANT to help So let`s stand up from our computers now And change it together- we have the know-how . We have the gift to love and hug We have ears to listen and mouth to encourage We have legs to walk and ways to flourish Believe me Love is the most powerful drug!! . Can we be role models for young and old? Break the wave of violence just by poems told? Can we love instead of hate? Can we act instead of wave? I don`t know but one`s for sure.. If we not try we`ll never know!
HALT FOR LOVE
There’s too much
Hate in the world,
Too much violence,
Sorrow and pain…
It has to stop!
But God’s not gonna stop it.
With respect and love for us His children
Free will He gave…
TO CHOOSE-
The choice in our hands,
To stop the madness.
Will we put
The brakes
On our own unkind,
Reckless and
Hurtful acts?
Or keep racing
Through crossroads
And intersections,
Red lights in our eyes,
Half blind?
Please stop
To “Reconsider Love,”
And I, still praying,
Without cessation
For a miracle.
Days like That!
There are days like that where suddenly in our lives all seems new where everything is pink color … Pinker!
There are smiles like that which finally sounding the renewal and flying away like the bird … A bird!
All hearts are like that! when Earth that sometimes forgets to be blue they look to other horizons … New suns!
There are days like that! There are hearts like that! Outside, Our blue sky became a whole pink garden … Heaven!
“….to the Elysian plain…where life is easiest for men”
When the storm of life flails too violently against your cellar door, and you cannot think of a way to survive
When the desolate fields of dying hope and endless struggle bring you to your scarred and bruised knees
And when the wrath of vile men fills fields with the blood, bone and bodies of sacred human life
Know this.
They cannot put to final rest the beauty of human spirit There is no fixed place on earth or above for souls at peace to reside It is everywhere
in the plaintive cry of the mud dove and the soaring caw of the eagle
it is in each beating heart where truth and love lie
It cannot be touched It cannot be defeated
It need only be felt
however fleeting.
#poetsforpeace
I am no child, I can do without a lullaby
no greed in my eyes, hold your gold away from me
I have learnt to face life, do not present me with luxury
big cars, plush house, servants around, I have no fancy
my tears are enough for me, I can do without the rain
don’t direct me to those pills, I have the will to bear the pain
after a day of tiresome work, I can sleep sound on the floor
no soft mattress is asked, my comfort is in my dreams
I am not aware of cuisines, neither do I wish for the same
sweet words from my beloved, make my dinner delicious
smiles around are enough for me
to give me the insight to the heaven
I am a soul powerful, contentment is my weapon
yet, for one thing I struggle every moment
I struggle for PEACE, I struggle for HARMONY
how painful to see people shooting each other
killing humanity
will this STRUGGLE ever end
today I wonder, as I sit under the stars
looking up to the sky
searching for the answers
I may not find
soon enough
Legacies
He told her
I’m from broken halves
people who weren’t present in their lives
world too damn ugly to keep chaining themselves to the curve
they let go and jumped
and I didn’t exist until I chewed my way through
life never came easy, it wasn’t given without effort, nothing
nothing
was
so you with your privilege
you don’t know what it’s like to have to work
for every step you take or
wake up unsure how you’re going to make it
through one day
you know what it’s
like to be taken care of
the only thing taking care of me is standing
in front of you
I grew up before I even reached
childhood
your anger helps me to be
more elusive
what you see is a white face
full of ease and comfortable ways
you don’t know me
you don’t know where I came from
how i got here
what it took
you don’t know that sometimes it looks one way
and it’s another
you call me privileged because I’m privilaged not to be
attacked in the street for being black
but I was attacked nonetheless
and I didn’t shrink from color
or think
everyone who had a hue was evil
my own skin may burn under the sun
but I’ve as much black as you
that’s what you can’t see
because you’re too busy
judging people on their color
repeating what’s been done to you
we’re legacies
passing down our bad habits
generation to generation
and our rage and impotency
we don’t always know
what we do and if we did
I don’t think we would continue
but fearful of everything
anger becomes our rhetoric
we curse each other instead of
looking closer
so look closer now
you know me
as you know yourself
I’m not just a white face
you’re not just a black face
we’re people of this earth
sharing an umbilical chord
the moment we start making the mistakes
of those who oppress us
we lose our dignity
we lose our truth
and evil will
inherit our discord
They held each other
it felt
right
he opened the door for her
she stepped outside
the sun was
bright
the gunman could not see
the color he was
supposed to be shooting at
the bullet
too fast
too urgent
cut first through her
then through
him
they fell at the
same time
they bled the same
color
in dying we are reminded
of unity
sore lost on
the living
The Gift of Peace
Everyone believes in peace especially those who make war who thrive on conflict as addicts think they thrive on their drugs that peace being an illusion
Our peace through strength brings cease`fires at their best leaving residues of bitter anger resentments down in the soul and the profiling of the other
Give me peace that is a verb for peace is a thing I must do other`wise it is no thing at all A bumper`sticker on my car along`side Save the Whales
Do not say Pray for Peace! for God will not give what is within the power of my hands to do by accepting the other as one who is my neighbor
“[You] have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.” ~ Jeremiah 6:14
We have accrued a legion of wars over centuries that pass like wandering soldiers in our dreams shattered by bombs and the broken promises of liars and tyrants, squeezing till we scream and succumb – hoping we toe the line, discard our beliefs, cease disrobing moral injustices, cease clamouring for peace and end our search for solutions. Violence, hate, fear and terrorism is written in unjust profit margins and margins of error, meted out by greed, and as human traffic we have become a bank balance of death in their greedy pockets. Nothing changes. All this time we remain nothing but their small change.
Only for a while, for a moment, I thought that time was going to change it – when hate might become a memory – in a time of change, forever?
We have scarce time, myriad memories and goals like pythons wind around our dreams – choking, crushing, till they seep and we weep like spoilt children when the charmer tames. Changes are made but are brushed aside with a sweep of an engine flying aloft – metallic, death throes. No change there, just death – always at rest in someone’s memory – all of the time, and which will last not only for a short time but forever. If we don’t change in the times in which we live, these times will never change.
an accidental peace for the first time since the beginning of time there was no war men did not talk of killing others nor were there any war machines rolling over the graves of those who had died there was no hunger nor was there any pain no religious refrains claiming my god is better than your god there was peace upon the earth the day after ker’s meteor took all life away
tear it down leave no stone standing salt the earth so no seeds of hope can ever grow in the hearts of children let the children feel misery’s cat-o’-nine-tails upon their backs have the flesh of their dreams torn from within their bodies deprive them of laughter pour poison into the well of faith that nourishes their souls feed them upon fear and degradation until our enemy on bended knees cries out for peace peace of mind for those they love their children
The heart yearns for peace
How much can I give this world?
My infinite love
A war-torn world claiming peace !
On behalf of peace in a world seemingly u-at-ease. It seems inevitable a poet would will to have a say. Yes, peace is being upturned while hostility grows. Hostility showing root(s) in forced ideology.
Trickling down, effecting politician, child, radicalized lives. Where prisoner(s) are the common man! Living in what was their home-land.
As war and terror remains in the middle east. And there’s no shortage of displaced refugee. Tumultuous heart’s grow desperate – grieve.
Family life – our earnings are in collapse. Extreme violence in homes, community, unprecedented. This indicating an apocalypse is on the way?
While politicians promise to fix all this. Whilst delving out money for personal or foreign needs. No, this isn’t enough; it’s not just this.
Disease – natural disasters are rising to an unheard of degree. Causing all to feel weak in the knees…
Peace, where’s peace? It’s gone it seems.
Song of Freedom
the caged bird sings for freedom
but when it is free o pilgrim both the bird and the song will be gone
their echo a harmony on the borderland
between remembrance and being
Yes, Sir!
Join the army? You must be barmy!
Is my head as hollow as a shell from your gun, a calami?
Why would I voluntarily, put myself in a place where bullets can harm me?
.
Yet thousands sign, barely ledgible, calmly, for camouflage and guns
But I see them for what they are; misled daughters and sons.
Once the slaughter has begun, maybe then, they’ll see their mistake,
With vermillion Afghani civillians killed in their wake.
And some will die as mums’ll cry, as the blood spills from their fate
No politician would want to take part, let alone send their kin
Yet they’ll gladly expend naive people, and send them in.
.
When the blood’s shed and the landscape is blood red
There’ll always be more to replace it & there’s never enough dead
I feel no sorrow for the shot soldier whose body turns ever colder
Fighting for democracy under the imperial flag,
A legacy of ‘Killed in Action’ in a government folder.
There are no heroes of invasions, please stop giving out medals
For every soldier killed, a thousand civillians are murdered in the wars,
in which the U.S and Britain meddles.
.
False patriots fighting for a flag which blows in the winds of lands that we grab
Meanwhile there’s thousands of children who’ll never have a dad
Now that’s both sad and bad; troops aren’t you glad?
You gave them a life they never had
One without parents or a family.
.
But there’s nothing more heroic than a dead soldier is there?
Heal the Wounds
A tug of war is going on now. So many people fighting to live.
The faithful in the streets Marching for peace, singing ‘How We Got Over’ and ‘We Shall Overcome.”
I’m still trying to understand How any peaceful gathering can turn into a disaster? We the People, standing our ground, next to the thin blue line.
Fighting for Justice, Hoping to be heard. Fighting for Truth, Shouting to be heard.
Why does it have to be this way?
We are still waiting for the day, When ‘A Change is Gonna Come.’
Time for a recess. Lay down Your arms brothers and sisters. Become a Peacemaker. “Peace is a choice,” John Denver said, We are all in this together.
Drop your weapons. Have Courage and Resilience. Cease and Desist from All this unnecessary violence.
Why should any innocent blood be shed?
Lady Liberty invites us all to share In her Freedom and Independence. Let the bell ring for Freedom today. Sing the chords of our common humanity.
Stop the bullets from flying now, and Fly the flag at half-mast in memory of Our loved ones and the lost and the Injured, for All the innocent ones.
Join our hands together for peace. Heal the wounds and Mend the scars.
Have Courage in the face of this senseless bloodshed. End the profiling! End the Violence! Stand Strong and Do No Harm!
See our faces in the crowd. We are the People!
Silence and Freedom
The quotes prefacing my poems below are taken from a 1977 paper delivered by Audre Lorde titled, “The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action”.
“What are the words you do not yet have? What do you need to say? What are the tyrannies you swallow day by day and attempt to make your own, until you will sicken and die of them, still in silence?”
– the bureaucracy of joy
Operationally exigent, the Skill of my day-to-day is Contingent, held by the Noosed nylon that will swing
You to the other side; the door Is procedure, sentiment; cross that Tee and knot that eye with thatched Thistle carving up the parchment
Into friendly spaces, cells and columns, Political economy of verbs & nouns, Forms content with fill, ink’s dissent With fill of space, the dotted eye.
“We can learn to work and speak when we are afraid in the same way we have learned to work and speak when we are tired. For we have been socialized to respect fear more than our own needs for language and definition, and while we wait in silence for that final luxury of fearlessness, the weight of that silence will choke us.”
– rules of communion
Commit to the arbitrary whim That seeks plenitude but knows
Not how, and then organize those Whims, the exigencies of action.
Figure out the ancestry of the Why of what you have to do, and
Write it down: to commit is to Want to breathe, sink and greet.
“The fact that we are here and that I speak these words is an attempt to break that silence and bridge some of those differences between us, for it is not difference which immobilizes us, but silence. And there are so many silences to be broken.”
– freedom is inherently dangerous
freedom is inherently dangerous; it can unfetter the slovenly pink and discolor the unfelt solder, the axed appropriate mandate, the breaking of swords, triads
of affiliation, tinpots of manged hate; freedom is thus danger; and why not? it reeks of past, it seeks the past, flits of memory crawl out of nowhere nothings
To End All Wars
In every town and village I know Stand names in stone To not forget The fallen In the Great War
From one hundred bloody years ago March men to fight And dig graves with Hands shaken By the Great War
They volunteered and were made to go Beyond this life To strange meetings With brothers Of the Great War
But this is all and all I know It takes great men And great women Not great wars To find true peace.
Fluttering white doves, over fields of peace lily, unforgettable.
Cannibalistic, war hawks and vultures loomed out, peaceful world eclipsed.
Oceans and rivers, from the mountains and forests, chimes prayers for peace.
~Zlata’s daughter~
I met zlatica when I was young on a visit to the old country we held hands at the village dance and walked evenings on the corzo
when I left she gave me golden dice on a chain and said osjećaj me – remember me
~~~~~
zlata is a mother now a grandmother a survivor of war between croats and serbs
I don’t understand what the hell they thought they were doing to places where we went to talk and dream and hold hands as we walked across the corzo cobbles
~~~~~
zlata named her daughter mariana srce moj (my heart) grew up an imitation americanka but in a landscape painted small with dinars instead of dollars she met dejan on the corzo before a dance
mariana couldn’t help herself fell for a serb and dejan chose wrong blood mariana a croat there was hatred in the village for kids like that betrayers of kin consorts of the enemy damn fool pacifists he should have shaved her hair put her out on the street she should have cut his throat in the middle of the night
~~~~~
I met zlata’s daughter her dejan and their child at a migrant place in dandenong
she told me it was better here australians haven’t learned to wear the look that gets etched into faces from living with war
she said she was a little lonely no-one from home comes to visit but they leave messages on the outside wall:
no place here for a croatian-serb no place here for a serbian-croat no place here for people like you go away go away become invisible
she said they would leave in the morning to go to a far away town where no-one knows where they come from who they are what they are leave the war behind them and find a place where their child will grow without an accent without a heritage without knowing hate
~~~~~
when I last saw her zlata’s daughter was wearing golden dice on a necklace struggling with a new language full of strange words and keeping up a job through difficult early times
I picture her now in my minds eye walking with dejan and their daughter on a dusty australian corzo in a small town she calls moje oslobođenje
my escape to freedom
A WORLD AT PEACE
Had the world always been so Crimson, Blood-soaked, Drowning in the entity That gave it life?
Withering silently, Strangled slowly, From the horrors Of deaths too soon. Not yet, please not yet, It was not her time, not his, Not for the child who did not know Hatred, But oh hatred Kills Through the bodies that bear it, Fermenting slowly Until it explodes, Taking away lives Too soon.
And we are left to wonder Why?
It is the ones left– Stranded on mortal land That suffer the longest. Nights of crumpled tissue, stinging eyes, Salty warm rivers that Carve ridges along their face, Expressionless, walking zombies, Sorrow etched in pained hearts– It will not go away, Not until I leave this Earth, they say But perhaps A piece of them died too that day.
These horrors around us Are not isolated To the victims. They do not just affect the dead, Or the family of dead, Or the country of the dead.
Each shooting, battle, war Is a testament of humanity. A life lost that we could have Known, Someone who could have Bettered this world, In ways that will never be Shown.
Peace is not a dream, It is not an option, Not a treaty, Not a solution Printed, sealed, passed On sheets of paper Among men in suits, shining armor.
Peace exists, regardless Of whether we listen to it Or not. It invades our souls, Makes us question death, Fear blood, Write, Read, Feel, Until finally We can say Enough. This is all. This is not war for a cause. This is massacre.
Before then, Peace will campaign, Peace will protest, Peace will linger in speeches of presidents, In the words of poets In the eyes of every man, woman, child Who knows what it means To be alive.
Peace is here, in all of us, And always will be.
We just have to find it again.
An Unassuming Peace
Peace, even the word should lull, Is it too much to ask for this realm to be gentle, Where bullies with weapons, the ignorant few, Would not make life a living hell for those who would love, share, respect. Peace, in white, satin flags that flap from a silent hill Displaying just kindness, not cruelty; that’s the symbol for me. We’d have no need to point, to pout, to prevaricate, Just know all were encompassed Regardless of wealth or stature, ideology or mindset. Is that too much to ask for? Is it? Peace, such a short, unassuming word: You’d think we’d embrace it. You’d think.
Good runs slow
sometimes late
like honey tilted
from bees to bottle
the keeper
works the field, stung
the passerby
walks the field, stung
taste, yes taste
yet the heart will never savor
from spoon alone
BROKEN WORLD (II OUT OF VI) our hearts are breaking – our world’s being torn apart – with our bare hands
The Helmet
It lay there One edge imbedded At crooked cant In much disturbed sand Half a yard from the road Half a world from its home Who knows for how long Deceptively mottled Rendered indistinct From its grim dun surround Of gritty ground and Shapeless mounds Apt detritus One more lifeless feature Of a barren baked landscape That’s never known peace This artifact of war Not really belonging Yet not out of place
Whose was the head It last endowed armor The head whose sweat swelled And stained its sewn webbing What judgments of duty Enjoined its young wearer Were they frenzied and frightened Or steadfast and stoic With chinstrap pulled taut And goggles sharp set For the myriad threats Of jihad in the desert What convictions conjoined Love of life, fear of death In this overly hot Kevlar carapace Right up to the moments Before being pitched From victory’s path
Where is the soldier Who left it behind Careless or killed Or just maybe both That uncertain status A mirror, an echo Presaging how history May gauge the outcome Will Augustine’s test Validate bellum iustum Will triumph be touted As nobly complete Or will failure by way of Abortion of mission Haunt and harrow the marrow In the bones of the brave This drab mundane piece Of muted regalia Now lost of purpose, just waits
I bent to retrieve it Thought better, then stopped And so let it be This artifact of war Not really belonging Yet not out of place It’s no souvenir
World has changed a lot. Always seems to have a violent plot. The notion of humanity is no more. Day by day violence is increasing more. People wonder what is their deed. Inside and outside they did bleed. Bloods are flowing like water. Always I see is humans getting shattered. Tears spread across the globe. I am thinking is their any scope. World is getting terrorized. Is violence really required?
No human wants to be in vain. But everyone is residing in pain. Both mentally and physically. All are losing hope slowly. Darkness spread all around the world. They are disturbing the peaceful world. Bombings and murders are common. I wonder whether things will be normal. We have to come together for peace. Rather than sending people to rest in peace. The question still arise. Is violence really required?
Come all. We will join hands. In order to curb violence. Let’s make the inner voice louder and shouter. The only wish we all have is peace. We want peace. Let’s make a better world. With no violence. Where all of us are in path of humanity. Igniting the flame of serenity. Let’s make a world. Where everyone should be down to gravity. Igniting the flame of serenity. Let’s make a better world for our future generations. Where all should have a better collaboration. Let’s come and join hands. For the sake and glory of humanity. By igniting the flame of serenity. Igniting the flame of serenity.
hate festers in fear
love can soothe our restless minds
when we meet in peace
The View Within
Cover my eyes I hear The flutter of wings Carry a song
Cover my ears I see A bird fly free from The stones of this land
Cover my mouth I feel Ink stain my open hands Blind, deaf, dumb
Still there is love
Terrorism Occupation Gun violence Intolerance Brutality by authorities We have not learned Anything from history. Our Kristallnacht against humanity Begins with the holocaust of Our own hearts
It seems all thoughts of peace are dead As war disfigures joy and light… Let’s hope and fight for life instead.
There’s murky chaos in my head As bravery gives into fright — It seems all thoughts of peace are dead.
Through cries of pain and tears we shed, Though murder mars the world like blight, Let’s hope and fight for life instead
The earth and sky are painted red, There’s no discerning wrong or right. It seems all thoughts of peace are dead.
With heavy thoughts, we go to bed While angels whisper from their height: Let’s hope and fight for life instead
Although the world is full of dread, And ofttimes, when the bombs take flight, It seems all thoughts of peace are dead — Let’s hope and fight for life instead.
United Nations
The united nations congregate
at the air-side playground,
by the boarding gates.
Screams and cries echo
through the multinational crowd.
The loud wooden bus is over booked,
standing room only
on a journey to everywhere.
Meanwhile the slide has an orderly que
with just a few love affairs starting
as pairs peel away holding hands
new best friends.
The seesaw is stuck in heavy tide
with disputes over ride times
flaring and ending in smiles and laughter
and hugs after.
Only the adults by the rail intervene
or are overly keen and cause fuss
in the press to again board the wooden bus
Teaching our children racism
and nationalism in the schism of worry
instead of learning from the yearning
of kids three to eight not to hate
or discriminate
but play in peace by the boarding gate.
Peace Piece Two men in a quiet place Arm in arm, face to face, Caught in a tight embrace. Their touching slowing its pace. Peace pervades their space. Two diplomats in a quiet space, Arranged meeting face-to-face. Caught between a rock and a hard place. Hostilities slowing their pace, Peace negotiations take place. Two nations in a quiet place, Friendly nations on their face, United by trade’s embrace. Negotiations happen at their own pace, Peace is present in this space.
PEACE ~ THE HUMAN DREAM ~
We are such stuff of stars and light atomic dust-memory, exploded wonder in the ‘Big Bang’. Evolutionary beings with million-year histories; mind and matter, flesh and sinew, blood and bone.
We are divided by race and religion, class and caste, frontiers and borders, lines in sand and water. Squabbling and scrabbling for the last resources and a quick buck.
We share but one blue-sea earth spinning on its fragile axis circling our life-Sun. We share but one humanity
Speak not the word PEACE in a whisper; write it no more in blood and tears; let it ride on the winds, let it sail on the seas, let it roam free in the Universe let it nestle safe in every human dream.
In Beirut, the sound of an explosion deafened a young boy to his mothers laugh and his fathers voice. The blasts left a community stripped off any sense of security.
Not a day had passed until, in Baghdad, a funeral branched itself out into over twenty more funerals, and mourners became the ones to be mourned.
Hours later, in Paris, gunshots spread the news of the terror that is the world today and wounded bodies spilt in the city like yolk from an egg.
Less than twenty four hours left the earth shaking with fear. Three cities grew silent, while the world shed a tear.
Cities that bred love have hate splattered across their streets, as innocent souls fell victim to the brutal games of greed.
What did those poor souls do for you to snatch away their heartbeat? What did their families do to deserve such misery?
It is a pity, what the world has grown into, it’s a shame how little we can do to help, except hold one last thread of hope.
So, here’s our hopes for Beirut. Here’s our good wishes to Baghdad. Here’s our prayers for Paris. Here’s our longing for peace.
I believe!
The day will come When we are one The day when hands Are clasped war ends
It is the day when people see That tolerance means liberty That difference is what we need To add all shades, then we’ll proceed
There may be darkness all around But inside you, the light is found Please shine it brightly and we will Chase away dark spots of hell
Shine your light in all you do Each day, whatever you go through Become the light for someone else That they can see how good love feels
Then more will follow, I believe That this task is to achieve Until not everyone joins in The ones who do, need to hang in
I do believe the day will come When hatred is forever gone Now take my hand and start today To add your soul’s peace bringing ray
In Love and Light
My Dream
I dream of a day When we’ll all be friends I dream, as I look at the stars That the world will see That being valued and free Is better than destruction and war *** I dream of a day When my friends are yours Although from quite different lands That you understand All colors and beliefs Can live in peace. Can hold hands *** I dream of a day Hopefully not far away When compassion wins in the end We’re all human after all We all stumble and fall Let’s help each other up and be friends *** I dream of a day When the killing has stopped And peace prevails at last Borders are open Old vendettas forgotten Past beliefs… will stay in the past *** I dream of a day… But it is only a dream So many people will say Perhaps I am delusional Perhaps just a dreamer But to survive, we must find a way *** To break down barriers To live together in peace That will be a challenge for some But why must we label Our different neighbors? Why can’t we become as one? *** We all want respect We all want freedom Let’s open our eyes and see That we all want the same It’s really not complicated It’s peace, for you and for me *** I dream of a day When world peace is achieved When the pen is the only weapon There will be universal love And to the power above I’ll say “Thank you. Our Earth has become Heaven.”
The wonder of it all Upon arrival we walk to our favorite spot As we have done so many times before The sun with all its glory soon fades away In its place black clouds come creeping in. As if on a mission they’ve blown in overhead quietly and unnoticed Instantly the sky is covered in night In the distance shadows and sprinkles of twinkling lights Stars, above all around then one by itself strong and bright Some in formation as if at attention Others – hundreds, the likeness of many loose diamonds Delicately shimmering so very distant – lifetimes away Before me is water as far as the eye can see An ocean so vast so big so proud with its mighty waves The water seems to go on forever until into the bottom of the sky it respectfully tucks in its skirts Choppy waves clap and flap then away they rush again It is a windy night The smell of salt water in the air Out goes the shrimp clinging tightly to the hook Destined for the perfect catch Hello Mr. Sand trout A golden beauty up late! The seagull flutters by laughing dipping but not finding He wont give up though He knows all too well that soon he’ll get his. Upon a happenstance I look up What is it moving so quickly barely catching my eye Oh wow a shooting star! Look, darling! A shooting star! O wait- its gone how quickly it vanished almost as a vapor. Then I ponder on all this beauty. And think of the whole world of beautiful places I’ve yet to see Alas many lifetimes could not suffice! Looking around busied bodies about their business Can it be true no one stops to take in the beauty Then I wonder if per chance a person might say That all these elements just happened per chance Burning embers landing somewhere through flight? In no way could one thus say! Wait!!! Look up, look around for the very things of this earth They testify of a Creator. Alas, alas to no avail No one cares to seek, to find, to know So much beauty in life and still the word resounds in my head The fool has said in his heart there is no God. Awake to life, get to know the Creator, enjoy His creation and the wonder of it all.
Rockabye baby When the wind blows It brings messages of hate Don’t listen my baby; don’t listen
Rockabye baby When the wind blows it touches with dark shadows Don’t touch my baby; don’t touch
Rockabye baby When the wind blows It brings the taste of innocent blood spilled Don’t taste my baby; don’t taste
Rockabye baby When the wind blows It brings the sight of Flags waving at half mast
Acknowledge, but don’t linger your gaze my baby; don’t linger. Please don’t hold on to any of these messages
Because the real world isn’t really all this negativity and darkness. The real world, my baby, is so much more Than the feedback from the news or the people enamored with it.
When the bough breaks It is you my baby who will make The difference It is you who can change it.
Bring your sweetness Bring your joy Bring your positivity And radiate your messages
Of love and hope Out into the world. Be you my baby Be you
You Calmed The Storm
I was a single flower – standing alone – alone and broken, withered and dying. I needed peace, I needed love, I needed light and warmth to help me stay alive. I searched the sky, I searched the earth, but everywhere I looked there was no one to give me peace. I had to fight to stay alive. I cried and cried and found no peace. I hated me and hated you and everyone who broke my heart. I couldn’t find a thing to love. I was alone. I called the gods, but they didn’t listen, they didn’t exist. Still no one heard my sad, sad cries. I was alone, I felt despised. I was abandoned, I paid the price. . .
My heart was bleeding. I longed so much for someone’s love. The hate I felt was killing me. It dragged me down like heavy rain. The pain I felt, I could not explain. It made me feel like I was trapped and drowning in the darkness I called my life. The rage inside was my only friend. I couldn’t find the peace that I had been longing for. I couldn‘t smile, I couldn‘t trust nor love the one that mattered most. It was the person inside of me – my one true friend. . .
But then one day the sun came out – it warmed my heart and lifted me up. I pushed the darkness into the pit that had been my life for far too long. I found the Son who came to tell me that He loved me. He took the clouds and all the darkness that followed me. He made me see that I had found my one true love and inner peace. . .
I let the hate drop like stones into the sea of broken dreams. You calmed the storm in me. I found a dream that filled my life with greater things that I could not see-while I was curled up in this dreary, dark and lonely place filled with the stench of bitter hate. I saw the Son, he came to me and took my hand – lifted me up into the sky and showed me things that brought me joy and true, precious peace. . .
Now I smile, I sing and dance. I feel alive and spread my wings. I am a flower found in the Spring with colors I’ve only seen in dreams. I am not alone, I am now free, and filled with His perfect love and precious peace. He helped me conquer the things that made me feel like a dying flower, so all alone. I found the Son and He found me. And now I smile and dance and dream. . .
Enough is Enough
It is enough…
when breath is taken away.
And a mother’s child
lies in a grave.
(abortion)
——
It is enough…
when, in, what we strive for.
Whilst permit us to shun
with a closed door.
(exclusiveness)
——
It is enough…
when division is our cause.
And freedom is
for those who adhere
to our rules.
(radicalization)
——
It is enough…
when family ties shred.
And a child
is left naked – dead.
(brokenness)
——
It is enough…
when bond’s that tie
echo deception,
circulating lies…
by hollow eyes.
(divorce)
——
It is enough…
when government
does succeed.
To impede, forfeit
our basic needs.
——
…for love and security.
dreaming for peace
in the dream a dark cloud follows overhead like a skeptical stray cat neither threatening nor kind unbiased and nearly lifeless
far beyond stars form stellar pyramids with eye-shaped apertures blinking a visual morse code only warlords understand
in the dream martin luther king preaches to a desperate generation promising harmony and hope where there is only despair
far beyond star factories push the limits within a universe pulling back brushing aside dark clouds and bringing change on earth
On A Day Like Today (written on July 15, 2016 after the Bastille Day attacks in Nice, France)
Dreaming of Nice, praying for peace. On a day like today so little else to say.
Liberte’ Egalite’ Fraternite’
Republique’ Francaise
France we stand with you
Existential Fratricide
Christian vs Muslim vs Hindu.
Versus Jew. Versus Buddhist.
Sikh. Yazidi. Zoroastrian. Atheist.
Brahmin vs Backward. Sunni vs Shia.
Native vs Immigrant. Local vs Settler.
Nation vs Country. Tribe vs Tribe. Brother vs Brother.
Faith vs Belief. Ideology vs Ideology.
Alliance vs Bloc. Team vs Faction.
Straight vs Gay. Black vs White.
Rich vs Poor. Developed vs Third World.
North vs South. East vs West.
Individual vs Society. He vs She. You vs Me.
Seven billion at last count. Each, “The Chosen One”.
And yet, not one gets it?
Enough
I want to write a love poem . . . sweet and easy. I want to find a way to say the golden things The things with wings. I want to mimic Gibran . . . and Rumi too I want to write a love poem . . . I do I really do.
I sit at the break of day When the hush of morn surrounds. I think of all those loving things where peace and love abounds. A thought so strong it births a tear Takes me back to a better year . . .
BUT ALL I HEAR . . .
Across the hilltops flying high Are cries from earth And water And sky.
ENOUGH! ENOUGH! . . . we say IF you wish to live another day! ENOUGH! ENOUGH!! ENOUGH!!!
you hurt love hurts not do not fear love it fears not make your peace with love
YES, THERE WILL BE PEACE
We hear the many heartbeats of fear As blood runs down well-worn streets Mixed with the tears of loved ones As children run from the blast of guns, And we wonder, when will there be Peace on this earth of common birth And goodwill among all in that day We can stand straight and tall withal In humble pride as we stride arm In arm, side by side as one great tide? Surely that day will dawn when light Pierces the night and the stark dark, And we find our might in all that Is good and right, lovely and bright, When we no longer pay more heed To the powerful greed that profits From proliferation of war, violence, Repression, oppression, desecration That all leads to utter desolation… Yes, there will be peace on earth When we learn to honor the worth Of each one — brother and sister, Mother and father — everywhere; And peace will reign, peace will reign
When I Lift My Eyes to the Sky
When I lift my eyes to the sky the magnificence of colors in creation soothe my troubled soul. Swimming in turmoil through turbulent waters navigating the human condition wiping away the dilemma of days lost in the rapid passing of time. Hours devoured pursuing a flat line of self-serving deeds…combative aggressive types intensify the hype vicious in their pursuit of power. Greed the cataclysmic seed to success reigns…while fortissimo sound of unified voices harmonizes hope.
When I lift my eyes to the sky the magnificence of colors in creation soothe my troubled soul. News of the day rocks reason in a season taunted by hostility. Demonic voices destroy tenuous threads of sanity. The rata tat tat of assault rifles signify the right to bear arms. Babies crying with fear wanting mother love…papa love…family love…wail and weep drowning in a sea of retribution…while soft gurgling music tones sing “Joy cometh in the morning!”
When I lift my eyes to the sky the magnificence of colors in creation soothe my troubled soul. War ravages the earth. Cultures clash…civil war erupts…ideologies abruptly declare the rights to eradicate with hate ideals of difference. Poison toxins contaminate breath…bombs explode…bullets mock life laughing at resistance mowed down in the name of dogma…while a peace encompasses the universe tolling a bell of love that cuts through strife heralding the fragility of life.
When I lift my eyes to the sky the magnificence of colors in creation soothe my troubled soul.
:: it hasleft me tired ::
adrift, will the sky at last explode, or will this hate
continue pointlessly, for thousand thousands years.
numbers that cannot describe each particle of pain.
each bloody bomb that kills yet again.
it may have left us tired, we are alive to witness.
yet again.
Peace Whispered shoe on soft moss through the forest in your mind, quiet meditation, crashing kitchen chaos of flying spoons plates waiting to be filled, streets with a thousand chants “No Justice, No Peace,” face down stretched thin over blanket covered patients on a combat hospital floor waiting for mortar strike, Scarlet tissue paper poppies, silhouette of cranes at sunset, warm hand cups your cheek transfer of love, Peace is what you make it.
After global peace
‘After global peace, what next, will follow? ‘ Course there’ll be no apathy or gluttony, ‘Course not, ‘ you won’t beg, steal or borrow. There’ll be no infighting even for survival Love will follow love and topple all evil.
Imprisoned poets, will sing of joy and life And return home to unknown foreign lands There’ll be no more murder on the 10 o’clock news. Soon soldiers will down, their barbaric tools Stop listening to governmental patriarchal fools.
‘And write about how even they too were used.’ Course there’ll be no hunger or indifference We shall all be—bothers & sisters There’ll be no envy or lust, no avarice Growing rice; living in harmony, this could be, nice.
‘After global peace, what next will follow? ‘ Well, we shall all live like Easter Islanders With big heads, and practice slash-and-burn. ‘Pretty shortly, won’t we run out of resources? ‘ Yes, but like so many, before us, we‘ll set sail for the sun.
Put all our faiths on a straw-raft as did our forefathers. Kon-Tiki man, and look for the Promised Land. ‘I beg your pardon, but hasn’t that ocean, been mapped.’ You Sir! You have no faith. Look at our giant statues Hollow-eyed, gaunt faces, didn’t their ancestors survive.
Peace is for everyone, who wants it
Peace is for everyone, who wants it But as soon as another resists it There is a boundary wall But as soon as another resists it There is a locked bolted door But as soon as another resists it There is a gun directed at you, Through a broken locked window. Peace is for everyone, who wants it As long as not one person resists it.
Smell the Soil
in the corners of soil squared shoulders cut into the fit of their fate corners cut to receive cornered caskets of youth who were cut to believe that the smell of a man cut by fear is the smell of a coward a man to be cornered and cut from the ranks so as not to dilute the acute smell of duty
Brothers, War & peace
Brother, War, says he doesn’t care for me Never has, says even now he despises me Always has, and laughs out loud at me. I tell my brother, I don’t understand: Brother, I love you. But my brother spits like a camel in the sand, He says, brother, Peace, I don’t just despise you.
Brother, Peace, I loathe you. And I reserve the right to hate you. You are my sworn, enemy I would dearly like to kill you. Brother, War, I would gladly lay down my life for you Tell you I love you, and you say we are, sworn enemies. Brother, War, tell me what have I done… What have I done to deserve such a deep animosity?
Brother, Peace, you embarrass me I cannot abide this or any other concord between us. You are like air a rainbow, that cannot be, caught Brother, Peace, you sir is deceitful and cowardly, But I, on… the other hand, am like the eagle rising above- I am your lord & master; without my presence, elder Brother who would appreciate you?
Brother, War, were that you were an eagle on the wind I would but pluck out those evil feathers, one by one And like a white dove naked you would plummet, Praying for land, and longing for love beneath my lodgings. You would long for a fig-leaf to cover your own Dishonourable shame, flights of fantasy.
A medium
That best magnifies
A piece of my mind
To give me peace of mind,
Hand me the pen
And cue the white dove,
No pre-determined formula
Nor appraisal for the zen
We search for everyday.
But when luck has it
And light seeps
From this vessel,
The result of being
An advocate for light,
Touching souls
On being able to relate,
On ups and downs;
No greater euphoria.
When all is said and done
Granting peace to others
Far supersedes
My endless search
For inner peace.
******
Peace was born
in the eye of the storm
when time stood still
Peace was held
without expectations, without condemnations
without the dollar bill
Peace was yours
Peace was mine
Peace was free
Peace was found in quiet contemplations
in heart’s whispers
amidst the silence of trees
I searched for peace
in nature’s soul
to be whole
to find me.
The art of spreading peace Begins with each of us, Looking inside ourselves To find peace with who we are, The lives we lead, The dreams we have. If we all found our peace, We would not be tempted to Find it in Drugs, Violence, Hate, or Shaming To feel better about ourselves. Be brave, my friends, for courage Is the first step toward A better, peaceful world.
7.9 Billion Safe Corners
What can end the hate? More hate? More anger? More power? Taking power away?
When do we realize we are all one thing? Cogs in the wheel, All necessary for us to move forward together.
When do we acknowledge our fears, And choose the path of love To resolve them, Instead of the path of hate and violence?
What can you do, today? Can you extend a smile Where you might have passed by without looking? Can you offer bread to those who are hungry Without asking who deserves to eat?
Can you love your fellow man Without asking if he deserves it? Can you give him a reason to live instead of die?
Can we all take care of our own small corners of the world, And make them safe?
Imagine if there were 7.9 billion safe corners in the world? Can we work toward that?
“Dreaming of peace”
Dreaming a world without drones Who are ravenous for living bones. There are heaps and heaps of clones Hovering in skies of faceless warzones.
We all yearn for peaceful homes Devoid of any ostentatious thrones. The world is frightened of nuclear cyclones That can rip apart all identified and unknowns.
Violence appears to exist in our commanding hormones, We should assemble all regarded as worthless gnomes To make the commanding realize that we are gemstones, Interested in peace everywhere and not tombstones.
Peace love, defend us
Let hope—reign Let peace love, defend us Let’s all be a bit more humane.
Count your blessing Look out your windows The world is a paradise If we all just learn to share it Peacefully like friends.
Count your blessing Put down your bows & arrows Let’s all live a little more humble Let hope—reign.
Let peace love, defend us Let hope—reign Let every nation call you, neighbour Oh brother, sister, friend No one is higher born than another.
Oh the world is a paradise Just look out your windows The world is a paradise If we just learn to share it Peacefully like friends.
God, comes howling
God, comes howling children what is going on I haven’t rested since I hung the golden sun
God, comes howling children what is going on I haven’t peace since the stars candelabrum
God, comes howling children what is going on I haven’t slept since I hung the silver moon
God, comes howling, shouting children what is going on I haven’t closed eyes since the flowers festoon
The children called back Father, Father We’re weary too we’ll all sleep & rest, soon.
FRACTURED PLANET
Hold on to your britches It’s a fractured planet There are no quick fixes There is no universal magnate So hold on to your crucifixes.
The world is fractured We’re different—continents adrift We’re people who, are fissured There will always be a rift: Shadowy-days when the sun eclipses.
Nights neighbouring, parties Go to war; days when parleys Confabs hit a brick wall Putting us all, on a collision course. I wish we were all non-combatant.
But it’s a fractured planet There are no quick, easy fixes There is no universal magnate It vexes me one day we’ll be all out And without any innings left to play
“she was the wall”
she slithered through the densely inhabited spaces
more translucent than the wall flower
she was the wall
by choice she moved unnoticed
a silent observer of all one would consider filth
but she saw beauty
in every crevice she found a crystal
in every drug addled alley she found royalty
in every darkness she found a light
Choosing Peace Each new day that I awake, I have a choice to make. I may wake up disgruntled, In a foul mood and certainly not humble. Or I make arouse feeling overwhelmed By the list of endless tasks that must be done. I may roll out of bed feeling a bit upset with a neighbor or friend And allow that anger to occupy and reside in my aching heart and restless mind. Then I might journey through the day Never ridding of the bitterness along the way. I could open my eyes in deep sadness When realizing another dream, my latest Hope has been utterly and completely crushed. And in doing so I forget to gaze out the window To see the shining sun or perhaps a rainbow Arching in the sky after a night of storms; And I don’t notice the wind gently cooling the earth. I forget to call and say hi to a friend Or to help and encourage someone Who deeply needed to hear Words of kindness to alleviate their hurt and fear. I forget how God has created me To reach out to others in tenderness, love, and peace. It is by my own flawed human nature that I focus on myself ever so selfishly Seeing only how the day evolves around me. But the Lord I know has a different plan For me and for each of us living Beneath the forever vast and lofty heavens. And that is to choose by faith To wake each morning and live each new day Not doubting but in firm and steadfast belief That we each have the ability to choose To live with each other in heartfelt friendship, Love and everlasting peace.
As no words whatsoever
Could penetrate sounds rancorous,
Vile verbal venom’d substance
Consumed, spewed–murderous threats
~
Thrust by daylight dark–
There was naught to
Do but bake Peace
Muffins for neighbors ensnared
HORMONES OF GOODNESS
Let us discover the hormones of goodness and inject it through the veins of the criminal minds.
Let The hormones dwell in their brain and format their thoughts
Let them forget the beheading and befriend their enemies.
Let them deactivate the bomb which they are about to blast.
Let them see their reflection in the prey ,they are about to rape.
Let them hug the one whom they are about to shoot.
Let them stop the war and host the white flag of peace.
let them take back the nuclear weapons to the place of its origin and bury it deep.
Let them ,kill the inhumanity and not the humans again.
Let them feel like the king Ashoka who gave up war,seeing the lifeless bodies around him and lived a life of goodness thereafter.
Let this be contagious and let them further spread the hormones of goodness.
let our world become a happy place,free from terrorism ,fights on politics ,religio,race and rapes,war and murder .
Let the hormones of goodness flow deeper and deeper and clense our earth and make it a place where the peace feels like home.
Let us invest in finding hormones of goodness .
With love-Crystalamay
“We Can Choose”
I can choose to look at a glass as half empty or half full
Every circumstance I face…can either help me stretch, or I can resist the pull
I can either face my obstacles, or I can flee
Make the most of the day, or wallow in self-pity
I can choose to be an inspiration to others, to encourage & ignite
Or, I can choose to create chaos, stir anger & strife
I can choose to be driven by lust, selfishness & greed
Or, I can choose to share, love & assist others in need
So, what will it be? Which pathway will you choose…
I choose….to be Enlivening
What about YOU?
Mid-August Again – Mid-August again When the mid-August comes, Lingering summer’s heat is felt mixed with a hint of autumn cool Reminding me of the time when the Pacific war came to an end. The war had devastated our country with millions of people killed. But the Pacific war was not the only war. Many other wars continued to go on today over the world. – It was three scores and eleven years ago That a government of the people, by the people, for the people Came to take over the military government of our war-torn country. It was three months after I had begun schooling at seven. At school, I had begun to be taught to stand in attention Wherever I heard the word “Emperor”. – “What would you like to be when you grow up?” an adult might ask me. “A soldier, sir.” “Ah, good boy. And what are you going to do as a soldier?” “Fight for my country, sir. Serve His Majesty the Emperor, sir. With all my body and life, sir.” How could I know what I was saying meant then. As far as that goes, did the questioner know what he was asking me either. – I was then separated far from my family. All elementary school children were then forced to evacuate from their home towns To remote rural areas so that we kids would survive in case their home towns turn to battle fields. Even if the people were all killed, we kids would remain alive To prevent the “Divine Yamato (Japanese) People” from being exterminated. – But we were more or less left forgotten in remote areas even without sufficient food. My daily life then was made up of hunting for anything edible – Soft weeds, hornet’s nest to pull out the grubs, frogs, mulberry, silkworm pupas, locusts, etc. It was by my instinct to find anything edible to live in those days. – One day, there was a sudden announcement that the Emperor would speak on the radio. It was impossible to imagine His Majesty the Emperor would talk directly to the people. But we knew the announcement was true when we were told to come around the radio set. There was only one radio set at the inn where we were staying. We kids were thus told to come to the room where the radio set was. But I was confined in a closet as I was being bullied by older kids. “You are not good enough to hear the voice of His Majesty,” I was told. From the inside of the closet, I could hear the fainting sound of the cicadas And what I believed was the Emperor’s voice. I couldn’t understand a word he said. – After a while, I heard the kids running back from the room where the radio set was. “Hey, war is over,” the same kid who bullied me opened the closet door and shouted to me joyfully. Entire inn was filled with joyous voices of “War is over”, “The war ended.” The kids who had serious looks until only minutes ago are shouting like real kids. I don’t remember if any of them said to me, “Japan was defeated.” – The kids were not only the people who so quickly changed. The world swiftly changed 180 degrees around me. I was looking like a skeleton hunting for anything I could eat to survive. But a few months later something in strange-looking bags and wraps were distributed among us. They were some relief goods from America. We kids had been trained to say, “American devils.” But it changed overnight to say, “Americans, our savior.” The older kids who bullied me showed unbelievable change, too. Those kids would never forget to take some portion of my food rations. But for the candies, cookies or whatever in the wraps from America, They said to me, “Hey these are yours. You eat them all.” – Today, more than seven decades later, I can see myself looking like a skeleton Reflected on the mirrors thousands of miles away. The mirrors are the wars still going on half a way around the Globe. I hear the news of kids hunting for weeds to eat. I see the kids as the reflection of myself of those days on the mirror. And I remember the pain of hunger which now makes me angry. The anger is something I was too young to feel when I was a kid. – Who caused the Pacific war that made so many people suffer and die? A war is the worst crime that can be committed on Earth. There must be the perpetrators for all wars that break out. Find the perpetrators. – I am now so angry that I could tie all such perpetrators to stakes. I am so angry I could keep them tied to the stakes for days until they could feel the hunger that I felt. The perpetrators might not know what the hunger could be unless they feel it themselves. – I am so angry I could burn the clothes the perpetrators are wearing with a torch So that they would know by themselves the suffering of those who died in air raids. – I am so angry I could burn their clothes with a torch so that the clothes would stick to their skins. A woman testified her clothes were burned instantly when the atom bomb exploded a mile away. It was out of question to get a medical help then and her clothes were kept stuck to her skins. Eventually part of her skins began to rot and flies came to lay eggs. She is alive today and testified about the pains she suffered when the maggots were removed. I would be happy to remove maggots one by one from the rotten skins of the perpetrators. – I’d be pleased to keep the perpetrators tied to the stakes to suffer pains and die So that they could know by themselves the excruciating agony and pain many mothers went through. There is a picture of a mother who died holding her baby in her arms. She did not have the strength left in her body to shout for help. She was burned black. The head of the baby is drooping and also black from burns. – Those who suffered and died number more than 3 million. They are mostly children, women, the elderly and other powerless people. They were born and have all the right in the world to live happy lives. How could they want a war? But, should they express an anti-war opinion, they would be subjected to arrest. And I fear the history may repeat itself. – In the wake of the complete devastation by the war, our country renounced wars. Under its new constitution it promised never to use force for settlement of international disputes. Whoever penned the no-war Constitution, it was the greatest gift given to any people on Earth. But there are signs today that the control over the constitution may be skillfully shifted from the people to the government. Our country may arm itself again complete with the court martial Under which the young people could be trained to kill or be killed. – Who are the perpetrators yearning to cash in on wars? Are they inside or outside our country? Or are they inside or outside of our own heart? Whoever or whatever they are, they are callous about the desire of the weak for peaceful life. Whoever or whatever they are, I am ready to burn them by torch with my anger.
I Wake Up
I wake to bodies piled up outside my window. I wake to young men shot in cars, Titans crushing towns, Children with bullet-proof backpacks, women pushed facedown, People pressing against fences and plunging into the Mediterranean Sea. I wake and the transcript of Hate is scribbled down quickly by my television in shorthand.
I try my best to lend hand. I spend my days helping an elderly woman carry her groceries up a hill, Pushing cars out of ditches, paying for a stranger’s lunch; I spend 16 waking hours trying to do alright.
At the age of 25 I finally decide Hope is a good thing, even as I Step over the bodies of people that were not saved. I drop my money and desires into a bucket, Start helping the ones who have survived to their feet.
I give my shoulder and carry them as far as I can. It is often a long walk. I walk it. If we trust each other we often make it.
I let go of a lot of things. I make choices. I hold my hands over wounds and feel the blood pool in my palms.
I don’t give up on people. I see them rise while holding up mountains. I see them rolled and rocked by the wave but they do not break. I see them hold the torch to the darkness, and with wild cry burn away the night. I am awed and humbled, by their steadfastness, their ferocity and light.
Together, we carry the bodies down. We lay them to rest and go back out to face great peril, Go back and lay more bodies down. We do not give up.
I wake and see you writhing in prayers to your god, Choking on the tears of past hurts, Desperately and courageously sowing yourself back up and Stuffing your heart back into your aching chest I watch you Go back out again and again, I say,
You are a wonder, do you know? Grass blade cut down Again and again you refuse to die, and in this sight I know, I will not give up on you.
Take my hand. We will face the darkness, together.
I will not give up on you.
Peace struggles in pain Throughout human endeavour God’s indifference.
” Time for a Change”
Look at what the world has become: Corrupt, filled with violence, meaningless drama in our lives and hatred towards one another,
Look at the innocent lives taken away as violence increases making people live in fear
Look at where the world is heading with political instability, corruption making us wander when peace will be finally restored
As people’s hatred towards one another through race and colour instead of living happily together
It is time for a change where freedom can be expressed without any resistance,
A time for a change where no one can live in fear and express each other freely,
Waiting for the day where we can finally breathe when the world is at a better place.
It is time for a new revolution, time for a new change and it is time to make a difference.
Peace looked on, surveying our broken world. Would we let him in? Us angry, hateful men, hearts and minds full of mistrust, bent on carnage and destruction. He knew he had no choice but to try. Arms outstretched, he strode into the war zone. We see him coming and laugh in his face. Our weapons would soon destroy this fool. Peace felt the pain of the bullets, but carried on undeterred. With Hope by his side and Right at his back, he dare not fail. Without him our world dies.
Peace 俳句 one thought one breath peace infinite unity sounds heartbeats reject hate
Nice, Bastille Day 2016
bones splinter down the roads like they do here here & where your breath cuts thoughts to melt with sundown & sea where sea foam froths over the mound of bodies watching an evening sky still so clear so profound so dead where chalks breaking into pieces & melting in our fingers waiting to circle the world
Restoration for Peace
Restore the freedom that was once stolen Restore fragile heart that was once open Restore a soul, that is now lost like a dungeon Restore the faith of humanity And bring persons in to unity Restore the power of having dignity And destroy the power of being greedy Restore the love that was thought to be received and giventh for double eternity And destroy the wheel of hate that driventh in human beings everyday Restore peace in the cold hearted vigilantes Restore peace and humanity Because violence is not a true weapon anyways.
Queue
I gasp through space of time
Waiting to be saved by a UFO
The energy that seems to be controlling movement of all prospects of life is dying
All living things that were seen precious are now scarce
I feared this at first
The power circle that surrounds and is set to motivate me somehow seem to fail me
I generate my metabolism through processed goods
The friend I believed to be a sister a decade ago is an enemy today
The leader I looked up to is one of the greedy ones of today
The memories made no longer makes one gasp and mesmerise
Instead they make one die inside and out
I gasp through the belief that chemical powder is seen as a dose for the suffering
I gasp through my habitat is no longer a safe environment but a smokey chimney
I gasp through the unsatisfactory lies I have to listen to in order to make my heart melt
The subliminal messages that are heard on speakers all seem to lead us to false pastures
This is my departure of this destination
I have flew to tomorrow land where nothing is promised
I have for seen the days that became untrue from my set beliefs
I have digested the leaves that swept and flew
I have drank the dark liquid that helped us in a few
We are each in this queue
Waiting to be set free…
as C may fit in Os Ys in Xs so will a d to a p – upside down as I to any T – with little adjustments.
we all have a place in everybody’s heart chambers where all can have a spot interconnecting vessels leading to one circulating system.
no one will be left out if only we welcome whatever and whoever fits.
A Plea For Peace;
What is my life But that of a prisoner in the grip of time. No more are those moments that brought serenity to me. How innocent life was When she reigned my world! And then you came along, And took her from me. Now I walk in my madness, Searching – I roam the grounds, These acres where she dwelt. It is not the love of these sights I weep for, It is for the absence of my Peace that has taken My heart that I weep. O Ravager Of Love, I beg — Give me my Peace back to me. #poetsforpeace
Tears In The Concrete:
The city streets are empty I cannot hear the sound of children playing Bullet holes buried in the concrete Old shell casings lay about the streets I cannot hear the sound of children playing Mothers keeping them inside Not wanting to their children’s dreams die The police and the protesters wage war Right and wrong becomes a blurred vision But the vision for peace remains clear Mothers and fathers praying The faith filled waving flags of hope Peace flutters above for all to see Maybe one day the world will look up And see how beautiful peace can be Maybe one day There will be no more tears of sadness in the concrete
Two World Wars and Counting … In World War One less than five per cent of the casualties were civilians – with today’s conflicts and wars the figure is nearer 75%.
War baby – once a bundle of mixed acquaintance, temporary, hurried, desperate -joy. Love ceased when war began.
War baby – is war; a disfigured bundle no one wants to heal; permanent, scarred, tragic. Lives ending as many wars begin.
War baby – his bloodlust flows within blood – conflicts- hostilities-civil war- religion- politics all given more oxygen than its victims.
Peace baby – wants to stitch together old wounds extremism-radical eyes-terrorism-fear – gaping sores, rancid hopes, let clean air help them heal.
Peace baby – tries to broker for change in the dust and rubble but cherubs still cry beyond wire mesh – gods and people are tired, and YOU are not worthy.
We all live on the same planet.
We all need the same mix of air.
Designed to eat from Earth’s garden
And drink from bodies of water
Abundant in all of our bodies,
We all floated in our mother’s wombs
We all cry the same salty tears.
We are more alike than different.
You would think
we could all get along
If not for ourselves, then
For the sake of all children
of the great Mother Earth.
And we can.
Peace is something, we strive to hold, We say the words, but another story is told, Peace can only be found, with blood and gore. Do we even remember, what we’re fighting for.
But what is peace, do we have an answer? To stop the fighting, to rid the cancer, One dark soul spreads, like a disease, Infecting minds, of those that please.
So what is peace, happiness & Joy? It’s a word we throw around, like a toy, The true meaning, may be lost, How is found? does it come at a cost?
We must unite, and stand together, We’ll pass this world, to our little treasures, It should be a happy world, we see & hear, Not a place, our children will fear.
Your name maybe war, But my name is peace Your name maybe devastation But my name is beautiful Your name maybe abuse, but my name is love
For every stone you raise, I will shine a light For every gun you raise, I will give back love
There was once a man who said “I have a dream” There was once a man who said “You must be the change you wish to see in the world”
Today I am that dream- A dream where boundries of colour is overlooked A dream where race is no more an issue Today I am that change- A Change for hope A Change for a brighter tomorrow
Your name and meaning may run like hot lava causing chaos and instability But no more will you take control
The world has seen enough of you Enough of your venum Enough of your instability
Countries are left desolate Homes are destroyed Families are thorn apart Children are left as destitutes
Children are left as orphans No longer able to rest- On the bossoms of loved ones
We cry out for change We cry out for peace We cry out for our dreams We cry out for love
Your darkness creeps in unawares But know that light will surely prevail.
through those pieces of mind, shattered & broken, she set out to find some rays of hope, some ways to cope, with this cruelty that life had gifted her with, she was stubborn, she was adamant, she would never let go, until she found what she was yearning for, something she was searching for, a home, a place so cozy, a place of sanctity, a hand to hold, a shoulder to cry, then she found him, her everything, her peace…
I hope that humanity restores it’s faith I hope where there is sadness and tears lights may shine upon their fate I hope that in some months all these nightmares will seems very far I hope that all of our archaic thought would vanish in fumes I know that lives have been broken I know that faith has been bent I know that our heart is bruised But in this time of crisis Should we let all these bitterness continue consuming us Should we let faceless people continue igniting fright in us Or should we raise above abominations and show our humanity To the monsters that kills our humanity War is useless and unnecessary Love and compassion is everything.
THE WHOLE OF HUMANITY
There is a sadness in the air. Even the birds can sense that humanity is hurting, suffering.
I look and I see mourning, and if not mourning I see fear disguised as anger and prejudice.
The coming together eases it a bit, but I wish in time the souls who are here at any given moment could look in another’s being and recognize we are not very different at all…
We all have a place and a right to live our lives while traveling here together. The ride would be so much nicer if we were surrounded by love and respect.
Stand and offer your hand to your fellow being. Recognize that they have pain and struggle and they are just trying to get by.
Recognize that “your way” is right for you, just as “their way” is right for them. Neither right…neither wrong…just different.
If we could honor that the differences we see make up a WHOLE…they fill the missing pieces, and one is not better without the other…rather we are strengthened when we allow and join…
Then we create THE WHOLE OF HUMANITY, rather than the HOLE IN HUMANITY!
BITTER MORTIFICATION – AN ANGUISHED LAMENT
In a hamlet buzzing with life there stands a dwelling desolate and ostracised
It’s gates are barred and windows heavily draped and blinded
At close deliberation I perceive shuffled movement and incoherent sounds from within
An irresistible urge an intrusive instinct I find myself drawn to the forsaken door therein
To behold a wraith distorted and distracted in a state of abject agitation
Vehemently she pronounced the denunciation of her progeny a stern proscription
Severing all chords which strengthened when the umbilical cord distended
Mournfully she reminisces the inexplicable joy of motherhood
The procreation of self the infant she had rapturously suckled and nursed
Rejoiced and celebrated his childhood and adolescence
Now unable to envisage a metamorphosis so horrendous
Which shamed her stern vigil and created an insurgent so hideous
What angst? What dissension? Bred such senseless insurgence
In vain she ponders had she nurtured him on anarchy violence and abhorrence
Her credibility questioned she struggled to trace any perceptible contribution
In manifestation of those grotesque fanatical alien dimensions
The evolution of a Mephistopheles a demonic exterminator
On a relentless rampage striking with recurring frequency and spasmodic violent waves
Leaving behind carnage and bloodshed at an accelerated pace
A reign of terror fracturing humanity with fissures widening
A sullied mortality a bleeding fraternity visibly segregating
Drifting in distrust and apprehension seeking refuge in personal spaces
Sowing seeds of hatred hostility and animosity among races
With a heart wrenching lament she cried
Oh!That scourge! A black sheep will never be welcome to my fold
And never to be misquoted or misconstrued she does not wait for the prodigal
But seeks atonement in reformation of his creed to conserve humanity
To usher repose and the dawn of the reinstatement of love peace and universal brotherhood.
Peace Is No Longer Abstract
Peace is no longer abstract Peace is a child covered in dust Tossed and distressed By the hands of war
Peace rebukes in silence Bleeds in the open Pleads, begs But will the world listen?
Peace is no longer abstract Peace knocks on our door Gently in chaos, once more Look what we’ve done to peace.
Climate, war, hunger Let’s focus our hearts and minds, We can change our world.
Neighbors
Half, full or quarter view: one moon shines Tomorrow, now, then: all endless time You, me, them: flesh and blood, all life heirs.
We’re letting fear, greed and false beliefs limit our freedom to stretch our hearts round the globe to people here and there.
Sages say love neighbors as ourselves And earth’s so constant moon radiates golden beams to show us how to care.
***
Walk With Me
***
Walk with me
With purpose
We shall not walk alone
Walk with me
Beside me
There is nowhere else
To go
Walk with me
Eyes forward
See what we see
Walk with me
Beside me
There is nowhere else
To go
Walk with me
Explain, possibly disagree
Respect, explore, encourage
Walk with me
Beside me
There is nowhere else
To go
Walk with me
Please
I crave peace within
Walk with me
Beside me
There is nowhere else
To go
Walk with me
And feel my hand
Envision those to come
Walk with me
Beside me
There is nowhere else
To go
Walk with me
United
Our touch remains the same
Walk with me
Beside me
There is nowhere else
To go
Walk with me
Be mindful
Our burdens not the same
Walk with me
Beside me
There is nowhere else
To go
Walk with me
We’ll listen
Hearts open wide
Walk with me
Beside me
There is nowhere else
To go
TURRET
General stood smiling on top of a tank for commemorative picture before the campaign started
such images unified country and solidified brave and timid under a flag
until the bishop arrived and blessed the troops sanctified all ammunition to make sure
they all find targets and since this attack was already blessed and dignified by officials
let the trumpet sound its marching paean and let the troops take charge of details
In a world full of diverse cultures And different beliefs It is hard to find peace We all want our own way To be the accepted way
But we must live together In this vast global market And to do that one thing must reign
Respect
We must respect the differences We have with each other The differences that make us who we are And who we will become
Respect is lost in our American culture Respect for parents is losing ground Respect for authority is a battlefield Respect for our employers is waning Respect for each other has turned to bullying
It seems we all want our own way I am right You are wrong NO – That is wrong
To find peace, we must learn to respect Each other for who they are And for what they represent
Peace is possible and is oh so close If we would just learn to respect
Isn’t this who; we are
The biggest monument to peace Ever built was the Great Wall of China. Troubled times, constitute bigger walls Fear is the fabric of life. What we don’t fear we embrace Like a woman; dressed in, invisible silks. Isn’t this who; we are, Isn’t this the human race
The silent lament weighed heavy on us
as we took leaden steps forward
over the carpet of death at our feet.
Lament for love lost, the opportunity cost
of ‘Your Country Needs You’
the finger pointing, an accusation aimed for the heart
mirrored now by the blasted tree trunk
and the broken spire
piercing the cloud-laden sky.
What sons, what daughters will never be born?
What sons, what daughters will be wasted in the mud and spilled guts at our feet?
Hours, and days, spent waiting, ribs near-breaking
in the silence
broken only by our breathing
and the scratch of pen on paper
a letter to Mother, to dear Daisy, the love of my life
to while away, to wish away
the terror, lurking, a great carrion crow over our heads
its black wings our mourning shroud
most likely
Who knows what wisdom humanity will reveal, when we’re in and out of hope and doubt and the bleeding exceeds the healing? For we’re only passing through and then… adieu.
We Cannot
We cannot live in fear and hate. We cannot live in a world of fear and hate.
We cannot stand by either. Love being the only solution – for there can be no other.
Fear and hate must be laid to rest so that we may go forward.
We cannot let fear and hate wear yet another mask.
We cannot live in fear or hate of the one, the few or the some.
We cannot live in their cage. We cannot fear or hate our brothers and sisters. We cannot.
We can only live in freedom. We can only live in love.
Our hearts stronger than either. For fear and hate are weak. We are not.
Let the assent of winter make you bold, Not cold . Let the cold breeze hitting your face , Remind you of the sunny days to brace. Let not the ones in cage belittle your ambitions , Rebel against the wrong conventions. Soon you will soar , While they behind the locked bars shall hoar. The fragile are subdued by the tide of time; But you who’re so strong and bold, But you who’s a jewel more valuable than gold, How can YOU yield to the surge’s swell ? You shall not get conquered by the whirlpool, because you’re the whole mighty ocean. You’re lightening and you’re thunder , You’re a volcano and you shall not surrender. You can bend and you can mend , You can break and you can fix , You’re powerful not weak, You’re not the Phoenix that rises from the ashes , You’ll make the ashes, You’re fire .
Concerned eyes see Yet have no voice Glazed eyes blink Ignoring tragedies Desperate eyes cry Having no comfort Angry eyes revenge World takes notice Inevitable eyes of history Shows cause and effect Clear eyes of wisdom Calling in the wind Loving eyes of a dove Declaring peace
The world’s a garden Plant seeds you wish to see grow Only peace grows peace
We all are one
If only you could
See the world as one
Instead of different part
We all are united
Its the same moon and stars
Lets write peace
And heal crack
Of the world
Lets be poet for peace
And show we are together
Let poetry heals
Our heart
Let spread just
Peace and love,..
Words home
For poets
Where they weave
Peace and happiness
Instead of soldiers
We need more poets for peace
Instead of cry and scream
We need more poetry
If I could restrict
Myself to a single place
To a particular religion ‘
But no I can’t
I am human
The world my home
And I
Poet for peace forever..
In the world
I see people spreading terror
I see people supporting them
I see people being killed
And I see also
Poets for peace ,,’
When I see the world
I feel the burn
I drink deep the pain
And write to stitch stars
I search peace
In my own words..
When I hear
Chirping of birds
I feel I am somewhere else
But chaos of the world
Hits back I write
Hiding taste of steel
I paint dream
Knowing trapped
It will be in a book
Kept in library ..
I see people
Wearing drape
Of religion
And saying
Their god is great
But maybe they
Have forgotten
The difference
Between human
And god ,,
To identify human
You don’t need a tag
You just need
A pure heart
Which doesn’t
Judge others
Based on
Caste creed or race
I see people
But without heart
A note scribbled
With chalk on sidewalk
More then words
A plea for peace
By a child who
had lost her all
A prayer from her
Glowed under
The moonlight ..
I spilled ink
And painted
A virtual vision
Of a beautiful world ..
But how to
Douse the fire
When I see
The world burning
How to bring peace ..
When I see
Humanity affected
By none other then human
I feel if this is earth
How would be hell..
Peace lost somewhere ..
We all are
Like stars
all are equal
Bounded by
Peace and love
But Unity is broken
Mask of humanity lost
Each day I dream
A better world..
One day maybe
I wont be scared
Of the negativity
Around me.,
One day maybe
There will be
Just peace ..
One day maybe
In my words
There will be
Always more
Of peace ..
That’s what
The world needs
Poets writing
Prayers – poetry
There’s enough
Negativity in
The world..
At least here
In words
Write peace
That’s what
The world needs..
I belong to the world
Then why to drape
Myself in a flag
The world my home
I just understand
The language of peace
I will be writing
Just peace
The real freedom
When each home
In the world has
A flag of peace
That’s what for me
Is the real freedom
I write peace
Because that’s what
I want..
I weave happiness
Because that’s how
I want to see the world
I fight darkness
As I want to
Feel alive ..
I hear it all
Innocents being killed
Children’s cry..
I spill tears
I hold my heart
I write a prayer ..
I try to find
Peace lost forever ..
I am
I will be
Forever “poet for peace”
Like you I see the world as grey, filled with those who trade in death, who riches gain as they trade in guns, designed to take man’s last breath.
I wish for a world of peace, of caring of tolerant thought, while man stalks those he wants to kill, with bombs or weapons bought.
Today I seek a pact in hope, that Hugs may gain some ground, and that 12 months from this day The world in love abounds.
What is happening to this world? Brother against brother we stand.
I see a playground and on it, little children: brothers and sisters fighting over a Father’s love. One Father, many children, one family.
I see a playground and on it, little children: the bullies and the victims, fighting over their differences. Some invited in, others cast out.
I see a playground. On it, just little children: the popular and the unpopular, fighting over the right to be on this playground.
Who decided this? Why? When?
The playground didn’t change much, nor the rules of the game. Neither did we. We are the children of Yesterday.
I see you, men and women: Yesterday’s children, fighting over land that is not yours. Deciding fates, directing lives you do not own.
Creation – Humans, animals, plants, water, land. You are stewards of these, not owners. Never forget.
Beware, little children, for time is a fragile thing, like wings of a butterfly on the wind. Do not stray, little children, for time is a sharp-edged sword.
So, play nicely, little children.
Blood Brothers
Hear, O Israel and Ishmael’s sons, Growling behind our misfortunes of birth, Ancient disputes seethe with dogma as fuel – Scores of our martyrs are blocking our path.
Growling behind our misfortunes of birth, Horsemen disguised as our prophets of hope – Scores of our martyrs are blocking our path, Land is just dirt and is not worth our blood.
Horsemen disguised as our prophets of hope; Fear stains our movements and colors our nights. Land is just dirt and is not worth our blood, Who will protect us when gods turn away?
Fear stains our movements and colors our nights. Goodwill: the one ruse we’ve yet to employ. Who will protect us when gods turn away? Prayers are bullets from pulpits of hate.
Goodwill: the one ruse we’ve yet to employ, Ancient disputes seethe with dogma as fuel, Prayers are bullets from pulpits of hate, Hear, O Israel and Ishmael’s sons!
AND IT’S DARK
My dark soul, darkens my heart, darkens
my mind,
lead-ing
to a black
dark room where I feed the darkness, to all.
*I know, darkness is pain , that never ends!*
waiting,read never and red its ,bits in me Cut
be to
read
!read and
!feels read-ding & red-ding how me tell Don’t
*! ! traces in beats still that ,heart a have I For*
I consumed me, in hunger, I ruined me with my
anger
for breed
and bread!
i know, how losses are like! , and what grieving is!
*For I’ve been searching me, for ages! in despair!*
or silence-s having violence-s in ,me see don’t I
silence-s
of full
violence-s!
!sight no with,like is blind being what feel do I For
* PEACE the for rise to ,me for waiting is I Since*
And this ** makes me a HUMAN who still breaths for
The Humanity
Lives for
The Planet
With a dream to share a common & peaceful home
*Because I lost me and became homeless, in crowds!*
#–forward-backward–#
#poetsforpeace
Wind Whispering to Me Soft wind flows whispering to me; Ever so gently branches sway in the breeze. I pause to listen and to quietly see That soft wind blowing and whispering to me. So tenderly the wind filters the trees As the pines swish and dance beneath the gleam Of a warm and radiant sunbeam. The lofty heavens span out like a vast sea Where waves swell and rise majestically Only to shrink into a placid pool of tranquility. Endless sky blankets the earth in an aquamarine canopy So silently crowning the waving evergreens As the wind continues to whisper to me. I sit in contented silence to just quietly be Still and secretly enchanted by the whistling breeze; What is the wind saying? What could the message be? How I did ponder under the awning of the windswept trees. Softly blowing, gently moving, I could feel and see The mysterious wind faintly whispering to me. How noise and clatter of this world can be displeasing While trials and troubles seem never ceasing But as I waited, the gentle wind whispered to me: “Just be still and treasure this moment of peace.”
Now to Forever
What is the distance between now and forever? Is it measured in light years? Generations?
Or maybe the moments between burnt toast for breakfast and the birth of a generous deed
Moments between what is damaged by rage and that which is healed with compassion
Let’s be diligent choosing a focus, dear friends, for it’s now that builds forever…
Peace is inside of me I need it to be!
Washed are the shores where the armies have been.
Freedom as an expression from my highest Self
finds me breathing,
and sharing that breath.
Because I AM alive! A force of nature with energy for listening, sharing
holding you, you, holding me.
in Ruby for Women in February Stones are not for throwing
Dressed Stones Lifting each stone From the ground I inspect its size and shape preparing it to fit with its fellows. I chip, pound, hammer round so each stone will slide into its rightful place building my poem– the bridge linking my heart to yours.
in the middle of a dry song
i know what i am looking for when i hide in the middle of a dry song…
it is peace…
peace for everything peace from everything from what throws you into a corner of the world where the mother of loneliness lives…
nothing captures best the voids in your heart than these eyes i have let my hands lend through the fire in my heart to pick these voids i am crushing them into a blank sheet and they are turning into mouths shouting back at me in different tongues shouting for peace crying for help on the heaps of helplessness in choking letters scribbled by the tears of soulful spirits i say again nothing captures best the voids in your heart than these eyes when you see the madness and men killing men to appease their beasts in the name of God when an innocent woman’s head is turned a sudden medusa in the hands of beasts playing insane perseuses turning everyone to stones dreads dreads dreads for the soul of peace turning my heart to stone! while we are at it pushing the world into the mouth of peace from the bombs swallowing our lives from steels, cold with death…cruel death while we are at it…pu-sh-i-ng the world into the mouth of peace…
i say again nothing captures best the voids in your heart than these eyes when you begin to think a time-devil in every friend when you begin to think of waiting wars in every peace be unto you in every handshake and laughter when you begin to think doubts in your peace and you are a pierced peace…a pierced poetry when you begin to think think think and think until you become blank and peace again…
i know what i am looking for when i hide in the middle of a dry song…
it is peace…
peace for everything peace from everything from what throws you into a corner of the world where the mother of loneliness lives…
A Mingled Cup.
When upon the world of men I think, Its tender love, its lust for power, A disturbing, mingled cup I drink With tastes both sweet and bitterly sour. A child’s laughter, whilst joy most bright, Is lost in the staccato burst of gun And innocence is damaged by the blight Of injustice and gain corruptly won. Then dark thoughts oppress and sadden, That we who on this blue planet live, Each other so callously burden Taking much more than we ever give. The horror of sharing this miracle of life And wasting it in division and murderous strife.
If I had a wand.
If I had a wand to wave over this world for what then would I wish?
The first: for warring humanity to beat swords into plow shares and turn hearts to peace.
The second: for government to free its shackled mind, rule in justice for the poor, and seek equity and equality of opportunity.
The third: for the relentless plundering of the earth to cease, for every acid stream and every gaping ruined landscape to heal, for water to be clean, the glaciers full, and forests free in their glorious diversity.
The fourth: that all creatures could have their place on this life-filled planet, that soft-eyed orangutans could hang unharassed in their forest homes, that no more rhino or elephant would ever again lie bloated and fly blown, killed for horn or tusk, and the tiger could rumbling purr in sleepy peace in the flecked sunlight.
Yes, like prophets, dreamers, visionaries, poets, if I could I would wave that wand
but I must settle for what I can do, so if I can re-make this heart, step by step, day by day, in gentleness and kindness, in tender, merciful love for all things, if I can be slow to anger and quick to forgive, if I can live in harmony and peace, if I can tread lightly on this earth, this must be sufficient for me,
though I will still lift my eyes heavenwards, hoping, dreaming, desiring so very much more and thinking as well as “If I” “If we”.
Somme Cemetery.
A soft grey mist covers the distant ridges, lies close upon the green folds and drips off the thousands of white crosses standing rigidly at parade ground attention, marked with this sad simplicity: “A Soldier of the Great War”.
Hard to think that in this landscape a century ago a nightmarish Nationalism opened its maw and rumbled creaking over the green folds, quiet woods and farmlands, venting a reeking stench of mud, barbed wire, crater holes, shells, gas, kilometer upon winding kilometer of trenches and a tangled twist of young lives stuck in the mud or huddled beneath the thud of artillery or emerging into the staccato spray of machine gun.
Yes, it is quiet. The landscape is green. The guns have gone. The young men are dust. Gone too are their mothers, or lovers, their brothers, sisters, family, friends. Gone too is the mud, the gas, the trenches, the inconsolable grief and loss, but a soft grey mist covers the distant ridges, lies close upon the green folds and drips off the thousands of white crosses marked with this sad simplicity: “A Soldier of the Great War”-
For the day is weeping, quietly weeping, and must go on weeping still.
MAKE LOVE, NOT WAR
He was a man of his word
A man of few words A tower of strength Kept all at wavelength The unwanted at arm’s length One who believed less is more Unlike the strengthless Who speak more and more But mean less and less.
Conquer with Love
King of kings and Lord of lords, Laid down His life for us all. Scorned and pierced, His mighty army could conquer them all. A powerful lion became a gentle lamb. Give us love in place of condemn. His victory is not by might, But by His never changing love and peace. Displaced
We – my wife and our three Live in a small village Our life is simple Fetching water from the well Grinding grain to make flour Washing in a bucket We knew of troubles in other parts But never dreamed it would touch our hearts The rebels, IS, came And to our shame Raped our women, stole our crops Freedom fighters followed Boom, our village is now a war zone But bullets and bombs don’t just kill soldiers I lost a daughter and a kind old neighbour … Too many killed, now there is no song Down by our well We are living in hell! So to keep my loved ones safe We need to leave our home place Crossing seas and borders we must face Cos surely if we stay here there may be no trace Crops and homes destroyed Families scattered like lego toys! Our quiet simple life Has become a place of real strife Need to save my kids and wife Others can never understand What it costs to leave your own land! Can foreigners find kindness and give us a hand? Do we, safe foreigners, really stop to think Of this devastating stink That war causes in those far away places? Families displaced, traumatised by war We need to dig deep and help these poor For their home place is now rotten to the core
Peace comes from within and I sincerely believe that only by understanding the harsh reality of conflict – personal and global – can we become more motivated to change within, in order to become the change we all need!
Poet for Peace.
A small voice called out in the wilderness: “Why must you throw your sticks and stones? Why grow anger, instead of love? Or, do you even know?
But then, the great wind came, blowing the small voice from pole to pole. Yet, its whisperings spread.
“Why must you throw your sticks and stones? Why grow anger, instead of love? Or, do you even know?
Brother asked sister. Sister asked brother. Husbands and wives, partners… questioned why. The neighbours wondered whether a cup of sugar would be better instead.
Slowly but surely, the people started looking in, instead of blaming out. After all, peace in our world begins in our hearts.
And so, after scattering the seed, the small voice called on the sun, rain and soil, waiting for love to grow. Together we are stronger And our voices will be heard We want to join together And make a difference with our words The world has become divided So much blood had now been shed It is time to become united And find a peaceful way instead No one wants to live their lives With a cloud above their head Wondering if this is the day That they will end up dead I thought this earth we were given Was for all of us to share Regardless of our differences – But it seems nobody cares Wouldn’t it be boring? If we were all the same We need tolerance and understanding And a very open mind It doesn’t take much effort To be courteous and kind Let’s all make the effort To stand together and be strong And teach the next generations That we can all get along!
Our World to Keep?
As we struggle with complex inner feelings
Clouds in our heads can send us reeling
It’s up to us to learn as we grow
To keeps our thoughts well in tow
The world is our habitat to eat and sleep
The world is our cradle to laugh and weep
We must play our role in this thing called life
To keep peace on earth and avoid all strife
From sunrise to sunset it’s our world to keep
If we reap what we sow and sow what we reap
Within Genuine peace can only come from within We can rave and rant about war and violence Check who profits from sales of WMD Know that the fodder, people killed, are expendable! No politician’s children ever join the war cause?
Who has ever really won a war? Look closely at history and explore Local citizens, children galore Are the ones harmed, see a flaw! So why do we start even more?
Do we continue to tie ourselves in knots Or try to calm our angry minds Look inside to see what you find? We feel righteous, powerless and unkind. Healthiest solution is to tame our own mind!
As we become more peaceful and content Empowers us to clearly vent Draws others in and we may score a win War and DV are a sin, so let us all begin To calm ourselves and our kin?
Only then can we know real peace Defence recruit the vulnerable They and their family are fleeced! Live by the change you seek to make Then no one can accuse you of being fake!
step towards towards the light take back my birth hide in radiance my assaulted face smiles my spirit shouts loud
I stood by the fence in my yard, little hands with splinters, And dreamt I was across the road, a normal child on a normal day. Hours were spent climbing an old sap, wrapping my legs around the branches, Clinging to the story my own imagination had created, I fell from the limb that day. I landed on my back, where I struggled for air as it left me and tears burned my eyes. That was the day my mother returned and everything changed.
A childhood, a blur of another time filled with seashells, gasoline, and tree climbing. A collage of playing house with him, as he brushed my hair, stroked my cheeks, and touched me. Here, there. Places unseen but always felt. Unnoticed but always known. A melted pot of belts hitting flesh in the form of punishments, in words being used as knives, and the Fence, in the yard, where I once played in my little dress, growing taller, bolder.
We left. My mother took us away to Florida, a place of sun and sand. A place, she said, for peace. A fresh start, a new beginning, a clean slate.
In Florida, we had a new fence, which grew impossible to escape. The melting pot, the collage of endless experiences stirred round and round As boyfriends abused, absent mothers ignored, medications were given to treat, The symptoms of the day,
The symptoms, which in reality, were nothing more than a deterrence. A lie to hide the truth of child abuse and poor choices made by those too afraid to face them. It was clear that the only way to obtain peace was to tell the truth. The only way to let go was to open my Angry fists and reveal what was already known but ignored: The bruises wouldn’t speak for themselves. I must take action for them. The emotions wouldn’t illustrate all that had gone wrong in a little yellow house in the woods surrounded by a fence.
A fence too tall for a child to crawl over but I was not a child anymore. On the other side of the fence, there was a latch, one I couldn’t see before that read,
“There is a peace when you understand, When you accept that it was not your fault.”
How many more condolatory statements do we make? How many more senseless deaths does it take? Love begets love and hate begets hate Is that not simple enough to get? Trust, respect, tolerance and sensitivity Freedom to choose one’s own identity Are these values too difficult to strive for? Or are they just mere words driving people to war? If not for us, then for our children Is it too much of an expectation To demand a world sans vilification? In the interest & prosperity of future generations Let’s all imbibe the values of tolerance & patience.
CROSSEYED
Once as I lay in a meadow a soft yellow butterfly lit upon the tip of my nose. And as I observed it closely, the slate gray clouds turned into horses and teddy bears, and a fluffy castle with Windows casting lanvender shadows.
And the airplane which moved in slow motion across the left borderline of my vision was an imperfect distraction in an otherwise flawless production cast upon a fuzzy blue upside down stage.
The sun changed into a mouth opened in silent golden laughter. And the flowers each played wood winds whose music contained a vapor that metamorphosed me into a universe imprisoned inside a dew drop.
Till I fell to the ground and burst and went shooting into infinity at a thousand light years per thought past time beyond the end to the beginning where I find myself on the tip of the nose of a dead soldier.
WAR the people we hate most are the ones we have not met whose minds we can read WAR$ we must kill them all before they kill us becau$e becau$e becau$e ‘cau$e
The Cycle
Dark Age ignorance, destruction, violence the fearful band together to contain, restrain, constrain civilizing this Time’s Golden Age to question, create, explore achieving complacence once again
Shadows creep unnoticed from horizon into unwary hearts that have no fear or sense of other or of love Their first act shocks the world to flurry anguish settling to comfortable couch outrage binge-watching shoot-em-ups from the fifties
Was that the news or just another episode of mass shooting senseless violence reckless hate?
What can we do? What can anybody do? It is insane. I see no hope. Yes, this is a very comfortable couch.
Until it isn’t Springs poke through Too much anger, frustration, discontent the hundredth monkey finally arriving after the third act or the fifth or tenth
Standing to make room swallowing their fear with the blood flowing past their homes. along their streets, in their veins until it boils over away to purify us all
and birth another chance for hope
Weeping Mother
She has a beautiful smile men will not just hold her golden hair tassels as wheat in summer’s breeze I said- Come, I will embrace you and she said, Men make war of such things my belly is poverty without their seed. So I asked – Where are your children? She said, They were taken and sold the barren are made whores and the fertile birth wars.
Poet For Peace
“A Silent Peace”
Silence, Silence… is the only thing that I hear from the darkness… is the only thing that I can see
But yet there’s no known fear since there’s only peace here underneath the water where I’m floating half conscious and half asleep…
But very slowly… I close my eye’s to see I’m still underneath the water And lured in by the peace then I finally fall off to sleep…
Finally I’m at peace…
Step away from this dark corner let your heart lead the way. Thinking in a box of fearful thoughts afraid of the other, leads to imprisonment with defined edges, slashing at silhouettes that only appear as the enemy. Walk away from this shadow follow the music of trust in love. What you think is the opposition is only just another scared and searching no different than the face in your bathroom mirror each morning.
Choice
Blinded by greed and illusory need, We can blot out the guns and the loss of our sons And our daughters who bled and the child that lies dead For some war of attrition, caused by the ambition of cold politicians. * ‘It is over the sea’ and ‘it can’t affect me’, So the litany goes. Insecurity grows And the synthetic fear they created is here So we’re watching each other, distrusting our brother and hate one another. * As lambs to the slaughter, we think as we ought to, Obedient sheep, we are living in sleep. We are manipulated till war is created Believing the snipe and the media hype till their mandate is ripe. * They call it our duty and blind us to beauty, Creating confusion. Refuse their illusion! My peace begins here, in rejection of fear, When I choose to be free, to wake up and to see that my brother is me.
*
Poet For Peace
Peace
A precious word I have been thought from the day I was born
a word made of many words a word made of many colors a word made of many thoughts
a word to be shared
a word that rhyme with love and acceptance
find harmony inside yourself to walk peacefully during your life path with enlightenment
love yourself to love one another open your mind to freedom and maintain it possible in this world.
Bad Taste
rattle of sabers clatters against teeth and tongues peace tasting like war
“If you could have three wishes, what?” Number one– always “peace.” I’ve been repeating that word since I was a child.
What is peace? Easy to say what it is not– not guns, not bombs, not hate or violence. Not this destruction.
There are seeds but they need sunlight– fertile soil to nourish growth, to send roots; open space to reach for the sky.
This is not complicated. This happens if we let it– the Earth can teach us if we can’t find our way home.
If Just for Today
If just for today, I could conquer the world – I wouldn’t.
No.
I don’t want to be in charge. I’m far too fallible And immensely too human.
If just for today. I could conquer the world – I wouldn’t.
No.
I don’t want to be the boss The one to push others down, So that I can be the victor.
If just for today, I could conquer the world – I wouldn’t.
What would I do, instead?
If it were mine to decide The course of this one day For the entirety of Earth?
Well…
When I woke, and stretched And felt the peace of this new day Everyone would wake in peace.
When I sipped coffee Rousing slowly and sweetly Everyone would have space to relax.
When I wrote in my journals Pages of hopes, dreams, and intents We could all fill pages with goodness.
When I fed the dog And gave him fresh water Everyone would be nourished and quenched.
When I chatted with my son About deep things and nothing at all We could all listen and be heard.
When I washed the windows In the autumnal afternoon light, Clarity would be a gift for us all.
When I embraced my daughter And we laughed together Everyone would find joy in another.
And so it would go All through this day As I go about my life.
Each little thing I did, or do Would or will ripple out And touch us all.
So on this day when I might Conquer the world I choose instead to love it.
The great tragedy
That when in form all the same
We scream “different!”
Hubris
Did the tree in reaching up Claim to understand the sky? Did it tell the other trees What heaven has demanded?
Did the sky when looking down Teach the tree most plainly? How it wished the tree to reach And how in turn to bend?
Yet we beneath the same blue sky Pretend to know its purpose And wage cruel war implacably Upon those who oppose us
And still the sun full shining down Upon the trees and bitter men Shows no biased preference Nor calls us “chosen creatures”
So like the tree, reach up my man Embrace the warmth of sunlight And shelter those still bent with care Amongst your spreading branches
And should you in your arrogance Believe that you are sacrosanct Remember that beneath the sky We are but one world turning
Does it make me bigger To make you smaller? Does it make me good To paint you bad? Does it cleanse my blood To spill so much of yours? Does it make me right To say you’re always wrong?
We stand side by side As equals We’re only humans With both good and bad Our hearts pump A shared blood The greatest right Is to hold out our hand to those who do wrong
Would it make me smaller To pull you to my level? Would it make me bad To see the good in you? Would it taint my blood To admit we are brothers Would it make me wrong To admit that you are right?
Piecing Together the Pieces for Peace When all our fallen pieces are put together Recognized as equally valuable a part of the whole Truly listen to each other Respect understand This is not one politican’s plan Voices of the world speak Say it loud We want peace Not what only benefits you or your political party Stop being so narrow As bodies pile up So grows the sorrow When everyone benefits yet shares the pain Then there will be peace.
Some worship God in the temple. Some worship God at the mosque. When the mosque and the temple share the same spot on the mountain we can worship together or kill each other. You may find God alone on a mountain but others will find the mountain too. Such is the nature of mountains. Such is the nature of God.
Way To Peace! The World is on Spin Booting with the tough cycles Ticking to disasters Trimming the blessings of nature Life cringing in despair Hatred has entered our lives Making it hopeless for all the life Chipping in selfishness and bribe. Let us lift the veil of gloom Streaming to good fortune Dancing under the misty moon Spinning with harmony Abstaining from gloom.
Mother Nature cries out in anguish The blood of her children soaks into her Brothers and sisters that came from her womb Fight each other, kill each other The differences that she gave us to be unique Skin colour, religion, difference of opinions The things that should make us our own shades of beautiful Have become reasons for hate Material for ammunition Motivation for bombs The thesis of twitter wars.
We’ve lost our minds to hate We thrive on it And love is a mere four letter word And terrorist is a nine letter word Words we throw around but don’t really understand Our demonstration of humanity reduced to emojis and hashtags Because it’s easier to type a few words than to say them out loud It’s easier to stand up for injustice in our homes and bedrooms It’s easier …..so we’ve become bystanders We’ve forgotten that the only balm for our aching hearts is peace. We’ve forgotten that love is peaceful We’ve forgotten that we are brothers and sisters We’ve forgotten …..so let us remember.
On battlefields and streets where ghosts have slept, funeral homes where grieving mothers wept, prematurely, the beating heart stilled. No place for the faithless or weak willed. From our lives loved ones are being swept.
The stigmata of promises not kept. Conclusions to which fearful minds leapt. By our ignorance we are being killed. On battlefields and streets.
We cry out for justice for the ceased breaths. Pointing fingers of blame, our spirits bereft. Without understanding, hatred is distilled. Contrary to our souls, born love filled. Conflicted with ourselves, but there is hope yet. On battlefields and streets.
First off, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this discussion that is going on with this, I will respond to each of your comments individually shortly after I make this post but wanted to say THANK YOU for taking the time and sharing your opinion! For those who are reading the post for the first time this is what I had posted in the morning:
“I will weigh in with my comments later and update this post but I wanted to get a reaction from my fellow bloggers on this, without my influence…Please put your thoughts in the comment section 🙂 Look forward to a lively discussion!”
Second, as promised here is my stance on the issue:
I remember when I first joined wordpress and I got my very first ‘like’ on that first post – I was ELATED! As belsbor says in his comment it is indeed a great boost! Someone out there thought my work was good enough to be liked! …Then, when I received my first comment… I was beyond thrilled.
As a business major and professional, I know how difficult it can sometimes be to get responses. Some projects never take off because of not being able to generate enough interest. Of course, this blog was not or rather is not a business venture, but it is something that I am quite passionate about and thus, generating a strong readership is important to me…Coming back to the issue at hand…as to whether or not the ‘like’ button is an enabler or an advocate, I believe it can be both and like some of you have said in your comments I too have worn both hats on different days.
Since that first initial boost of getting a ‘like’, I have felt that initial ‘elation’ become a ‘pleasantly pleased’ emotion. Although I still love it, I am thrilled to get comments as it allows me to understand exactly how much the reader liked my work or how they connected with it but I appreciate that ‘like’ none the less. I agree, it is not just an advocate for an introvert, although it can become one in many cases. Sophie L raises an excellent point that I had not thought of with regards to the language barrier and how the ‘like’ button becomes an universal tool of approval. It is like casting a vote, just like nobody puts a comment on that ballot card, it is just enough support for the candidate and in this case the author’s post. I do not see it as a negative button in any sense, and like many of you I always try to read what I have liked. As Genuine Poetry (Denise) puts it, it is a way of letting the reader know that you were there and you liked their post; however, lately I have been feeling a bit guilty of being an inactive participant due to the lack of time.
I understand that as the number of blogs I follow increases along with my readership, it will be harder to keep up with all the posts all the time…but I have caught myself using the ‘like’ button as a crutch… and I did not like it. Sometimes, I skim longer posts, like it, saying to myself that I would come back and read it thoroughly later but there are days that it doesn’t happen. It made me wonder how many others actually read the post before liking. Ronovan raises a good point about how liking after barely a second of publishing kind of gives away the fact that it never really was read… and though thankfully, I am not guilty of that, it was just something I needed to reflect on and be more conscious of. I always try my best to comment when I have the time, especially with the blogs I follow regularly and have built a rapport with, but like many of you stated, time becomes a factor on how much I can do.
In conclusion, I think the ‘like’ button can be one of the best tools to encourage fellow bloggers. But before pushing that button, ALWAYS read the post you are about to like, if you have the time to comment please do and always be conscious that you do not become one of those ‘inactive participant’ using the like button as an automated response.
Thank you to each and everyone of you for taking the time to read my work,
Neha
PS: I loved each like on this posts! I also loved the posts I liked! 😉
I have caught myself thinking that a number of times since I have actively joined this blogging world. I would probably still be considered a newbie to some, being just a month shy here on wordpress; however, this new notion of validating my writing by the number of likes I get, has made me self reflect on this matter. I will not lie, it is a great motivator, but I think it is time for me to step back and see things for what they are.
There once was a time not too long ago, before social media or blogging when I used to write my thoughts down in a diary, getting immense joy from pouring them on that paper not viewed by anyone but me. There was a time when pictures were just shown to close friends and family, for the mere joy of sharing the memories with each other. It did not matter about the number of people who saw the pictures but the closeness we felt from it. I am not suggesting that one cannot feel close via a ‘facebook like’. I myself have connected with childhood friends and that ‘like’ from them means a lot. I digress, coming back to writing… I think for myself, it is a little different than sharing pictures.
Writing has always been an outlet for my thoughts. It helps me unwind after a long battle of emotions, helps me lose myself in music, helps me draw pictures with words that I cherish, helps me hold nature to my heart, and it is often my love songs. It has never been about how much someone else has liked or disliked my work. How then did a ‘like’ on one post and not the other begin to affect me like this?
Now, I would be dishonest if I said I do not appreciate being appreciated. I think most writers will tell you they get high when their readers resonate with their writing and show appreciation; however, it cannot come with a cost of validation of my work. If I were getting paid to do a marketing job, where I had to get consumers liking my post, it would have been different; that one extra ‘like’ would mean by bread and butter. But this, this right here is different, it is simply my thoughts and my muses, my nights and days of emotions on paper, it is the abstract ladders to my thoughts and my concrete heart on the computer screen, and though I will always appreciate and like that ‘like’, my work can never be validated by the number of ‘likes’ I receive.
forgottenmeadows 