Poetry 4 PEACE Now
my Sun is Orange
my morning Sun is orange
The yellow is stained
with the Blood of my People
for that is what we
are reminded of
each day
when it rises from the East
to greet the world
i see my world
clearly
we once lived with a hope
that the atrocities of Hate
War
and indifference
would go away
but it did not
my hope has been misplaced
somewhere
and i can not remember
where i have set it down
it might have been that day
i lost my arm
or that day
when my Father was jailed
or that day
when my Sister was killed
she was only 3
no, i think i lost my hope
the day
my Mother no longer cried
her eyes have been dry
for many a year now
and somehow
by some grace
she still has enough love in her
to hug me
once in a while
through that pained smile
that still adorns her face
just so she won’t completely break
there is a noise i hear
it is a loud silence
that stays with me
through my callousness
for the gunfire
and the bombs
and the screams
i can not hear them
they have long ago
assaulted and killed
the dreams of my Family
my village
my people
and it is now working on
Humanity
where is the sanity
in this methodology
to be found
every day is “Ground Zero”
where i live
every where i look
i see Ground Zeros
and we have lost count
of those who
are no more
because of what you call War
but you and i
never had a dispute
that i know of
If so, please tell me what i did wrong
to cause you harm
that you should exact such wretchedness
upon me
and others like me
i know not of the Politics
of it all.
i have never met a Politician
are they so different
than we the people ?
if it’s Oil
i give it to you
if it’s right
take it freely
i will not raise nor put my hand
against that
of my Father’s children
there was a time
when all i thought of
was simply
finding Joy in my life
i have since given up that quest
for i see far too much
of that other stuff
which deserves not a name
my Sun is no longer Yellow
but i do pray my Brother
that yours is
my Sun is Orange
This is dedicated to all the Villages, Peoples across our Globe who must endure the Politics and Sickness of War.
© 1 July 2013 : william s. peters, sr.
Same Song & Verse
I
bang the same drum
a kettle with steam
day
in
and day out
or so
it seems.
Like
a fervent timpanist
out of control . . .
I know.
I know . . .
I
may bother you
for banging
and clanging
on and on
it bothers me too
when
humanity
is doused with a
cruel insanity.
The
answer is near
and so very clear.
Love is all you need.
Let
love reign
from me to you
and you to me:
and please
stop
drop
and roll
put
out the flame
of hate
dismiss
and quit
those
unrealistic judgments
the delusional expectations
of others
our Sisters and Brothers
toss
them
and swap them
for
love
without expectations
the
only
affiliations
worth having
are love
and peace.
So,
quit playing
those mind games
and you will see.
You will see . . .
our
community
of
humanity
quilted
into
a continuous fabric
a beautiful reality.
Just,
Let it be.
Let it be.
And
as our
Brothers said
“All
you need is love,
Love is the answer,
let it be.”
This I speak, to me.
© Janet P. Caldwell October 11, 2012
Tarnished Crown
Our heroes die...
mothers cry...
bullets fly...
50 years gone by
We buy ...
we bought
and sold a dream
and we are still
facing
nightmares.
The land is wet with collective tears of Nations
trying to find solutions to this one Ideology.
No matter what religious perspective or political objectives...
we can find the middle ground if our thoughts sing the sounds of peace.
There is a Lennonism
I believe them
they called him John
Yesterday his dreams were so far away
but we can bring those dream close.
Cause I'd rather have strawberry fields replace battlefields
and hold hands with those who kneel and those who prostrate.
I would hold hands and sing old Negro spirituals
close my eyes and join in ancient Buddhist rituals
if this would bring peace to all the world
Cause we are the pearl of this crown jewel
we have tarnished it for ages...
and as we look
at all those
history pages
let's learn
from our mistakes
We need to do what it takes...
So let's
make this crown shine for peace.
By : Santos Taíno
For – Giving
In a
lopsided
mostly divided
ǝpısdn uʍop
and ego centered world
we
tend to self – contract
an illness to and from ourselves
called judgment
which we blindly
eat up . . . self – served.
But we have infected others too
our
Sisters and Brothers
with our worldly
and weedy reasonings
where contagious seeds
were scattered and sown
blown here there and everywhere.
And
usually without knowing
the full aspect of what has grown.
While
we snoozed
our peace was misplaced
and we did lose
while this dis-ease ate away
our fleshy heart
and broke our brittle bones.
Ahhh, the ego is clever.
In
judging others
we in fact judge ourselves
with untruths
that never hold water
in the long run.
The truth will be known.
Help
us Father.
Help us Mother
to wash the smudges from our faces
when we trampled from place to place
with a ludicrous campaign
called hate . . .
abate, abate !
We
are no-ones judge !
An ill placed blame
is not ours to parcel out.
We are ONE in and of the same.
I
too had to learn
to forgive myself
for my reckless thoughts of you.
No
more blame game please.
For I wish you joy and peace
and to always to be at ease
dis-ease free as was meant to be.
So, I walk in love and peace
self – forgiveness
yes, forgiveness is for you and me.
© Janet P. Caldwell August 26, 2013
the Garden of Even
there once was a Village
that had a Garden
where nothing but Love ever grew
the Fruits were Divine
what was mine was thine
this was what everyone knew
and then came a thought
which some sadly bought
that i was different from you
and to all of dismay
came forth the day
when this paradigm then became true
the children were confused
and some were used
to further the separation of self
and some gathered night
and held on quite tight
for they thought that things were wealth
and as time went on
the old life was gone
where they all lived simply as one
and wouldn’t you know
even their personal glow
was fading and almost done
but much to their mirth
the Mother called Earth
gave an awakening call
it was not for the few
but all that She knew
she called before the fall
now some did transcend
before the end
of this fictional story i tell
but within every myth
there is a sweet gift
that each may come and dispel
so please come on back home
to the garden you’re from
where all is balanced and square
the Garden of Even
where there is no needin’
for love indwells everywhere
(c) 2010 : Williams S. Peters, Sr.
Art by : Christine Von Lossberg
and feel no more
the echoes of anguish
fear
terror
and pain
still cry in the darkness
of the lack of light
and understanding
i cried that day
and i felt the pain
and sorrow
for us all
when that fateful call
went out
across the media
OMG
a plane
insane
lost it’s way
and that picture
will forever stay
in our resonant memories
the divide
between our human family
exploded into our realities
in that surreal moment
and i could only feel
lost
unbelievable
for it was inconceivable
that this could happen here
but it did
and the children who lost their best friend
parents
and the parents
who lost children
in the interference
of our serene beliefs
that we were safe
from the terror of the world
and a new age was heralded in
when man again
had good reason
to hate himself
to hate his brother
to hate God
and Love Him too
but the True God they say
belonged to me and you
and the Red White and Blue
so we dressed in War Clothing
pulled out our Toys
sent our Boys
to die
senseless
promulgating war
on the defenseless
such as
the Mothers
and Wives
and Children
who are left behind
in Patriotic fear
wondering
if they would
ever see their dear
beloved Soldiers again
and the echoes of anguish
continue to reverberate
in the hearts of a confused peoples
a family of humanity
who still has yet to understand
the plan did succeed
indeed
and the seed
of our children
is in jeopardy
of losing its sanctity
as we reinforce this reality
of hate
indifference
when what we need
is deliverance
from these echoes of anguish
in my head
before we are all dead
and feel no more
© 11 September 2011 : William S. Peters, Sr.
Gil Scott-Heron - A Prayer for....mp3