I don’t understand
sometimes
this urge for war
this desire
to kill
it feels
sometimes
as if I cannot
handle
anymore
news
of death arriving
at the hands
of strangers

I don’t understand
and in my confusion
death calls
somewhere
in the world
and I struggle
to grasp
the meaning of
a stranger’s desire
to shoot
a stranger.

The world bleeds
and I want
to stop
it
bleeding
out

Under a frail and moody sky
peace lay bleeding
among the skeletal remains
of life exposed
upon the battlefields
peeled back from the bone-weary
arms
of a mother
holding close the lifeless memory
of her child
gone to war
to cry no more.

Deaf ears
listened silently
to a mother’s call
to lay down
arms
raging
war on and on
until there were
no more voices
to call
for war
no more.

Peace lay down
beneath a frail and moody sky
and cried
no more.

I scurry
daylight waning
in this space where
I follow the path
into forgetful
wondering
where peace
went
in the flurry of
daily obligations
hurrying to and fro
and find myself
here
quietly breathing
in the waning light
of day
calling for night
to bring peace
to my day.

Laughter arrived
unannounced
rolling in a bellyful
of joy
streaming down
through tears
pulled up from the roots
of my being
jiggling for release
I felt a sigh
escape
and peace
descended
in the aftermath
of mirth
passing through.

Ah yes, my soul sighed
this is where peace becomes you.

Peace enters quietly
a silken thread
of memory stretched
tight
across the time
when guns roared
and men fell
in the battle
to make peace.

In its presence
silence descends
the guns are stilled
and we are reminded
war does not create
peace
only Love for one another
Love for all can
make peace happen.

thoughts of peace
fade into a weekend
filled with relaxation
there is no need
to make peace happen
when I happen to be
peaceful.

I want to grab war by the neck
and throttle it into silence
I want to wrench peace out of darkness
and throw it out there
out there anyway I can
to get it known
peace is here
where are you?

I am so angry
you will not turn up
in peace.

I want you to make peace
now
and in my anger
peace dissolves
into a thousand discordant fragments
of what could have been
if I had not been
so angry
peace was silenced.

There is no way
to peace
Peace happens
when we make it
the way
of living
in peace
amongst us
between us
within us.